Haiti's World Cup Camp Opens Today in Port St. Lucie — 18 Days Out
Today, Sunday May 24, the Haiti Men's National Team officially opens its pre-World Cup training camp at the voco Sandpiper All-Inclusive Resort in Port St. Lucie, Florida — the first day of a two-week residency running through June 8. The camp is a landmark moment: Haiti returns to the World Cup for the first time in 52 years, and this Florida base will be the squad's primary preparation ground before two warm-up friendlies in the Miami area.
The FHF has scheduled two pre-tournament friendlies in South Florida: New Zealand on June 2 and Peru on June 5, the latter at the newly opened NU Stadium — Peru's first visit to that venue. FHF marketing head Karl-Philippe Alexis described the Miami-area matches as "very intentional," citing the large Haitian diaspora in South Florida as a key reason for the choice.
The 26-player roster, unveiled May 15 by head coach Sébastien Migné, is dominated by diaspora talent from 13 countries. Goalkeeper Johny Placide and striker Duckens Nazon lead the squad with 80 caps each. Three MLS representatives — Philadelphia Union midfielder Danley Jean Jacques, FC Dallas forward Don Deedson Louicius, and Toronto FC forward Derrick Etienne Jr. — are among the most recognizable names. Nazon sits five goals from becoming Haiti's all-time top scorer.
Haiti are in Group C alongside Brazil, Morocco, and Scotland. Their opening match is against Morocco on June 16.