Haiti's World Cup journey begins: Tournament opens today

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off today, June 11, in three host nations — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — and for the first time in 52 years, Haiti is part of it. Les Grenadiers do not play today, but the tournament's opening marks the end of a half-century wait that began in 1974 in West Germany.

Haiti's Group C campaign opens Saturday, June 13, against Scotland at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts (9 p.m. ET, FS1). Coach Sébastien Migné has a 26-man squad finalized since May 15 — 25 of them diaspora-based — led by captain Johny Placide (SC Bastia) and attacking talismans Duckens Nazon (Esteghlal, 44 international goals) and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (Wolverhampton Wanderers).

Pre-tournament form was encouraging: Haiti crushed New Zealand 4-0 on June 2 at Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale — Ruben Providence (12'), Lenny Joseph (51'), Frantzdy Pierrot (62'), and Duke Lacroix (87') on the scoresheet — before losing 2-1 to Peru on June 5 in Miami. A kit controversy added drama when FIFA ordered changes to the original design featuring the 1803 Battle of Vertières, which was deemed political under equipment regulations. Manufacturer Saeta implemented the modifications.

The broader diaspora narrative — Brooklyn, Miami, Montréal, Boston — is already mobilized. As sports.bvn.app noted ahead of today's date: for twelve million Haitians scattered across the island and its diaspora, this World Cup represents a shared moment of collective attention not experienced since 1974.