Haiti is heading to the World Cup for the first time since 1974. It's a massive moment for the Caribbean nation of 11 million people. But here's the heartbreaking part - hardly any Haitian fans will actually get to see their team play in person.
While coach Sébastien Migné prepares his squad to face Brazil, Scotland and Morocco on US soil this summer, back home the country is dealing with a devastating gang crisis. Armed gangs control about 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. More than 5,500 people died in gang-related violence in 2024 alone.
The situation is so bad that coach Migne has never even set foot on the island. The Foreign Office advises against all travel to Haiti. The UN reports that 1.4 million people - 12% of the population - have been forced to flee their homes.
No Home Games, No Celebrations
Forward Don Deedson Louicius, who left Haiti at 14 and scored four crucial goals in qualification, paints a grim picture. "The neighbourhood where I grew up, even my old house, has been burned a few months ago by gangs," he says.
"Even after our qualification you expect to go home and celebrate with people and we haven't had the chance to do that." When Haiti qualified last November, people briefly took to the streets for the first time since 2021. But the next day, it was back to survival mode.
Haiti haven't played a home match since 2021. They had to play their "home" qualifiers in Curacao - 500 miles away. The national stadium sits in a no-go zone, and the Haitian federation lost control of it in 2024.
"For some of our games in Curacao we only had 500 people there," Louicius explains. "The away team had more fans than us." US airlines stopped flights to Haiti after gangs shot at planes in 2024, hitting a Spirit Airlines flight and injuring a crew member.
Travel Ban Blocks Fans
Now a US travel ban looks set to prevent Haitian nationals from attending their team's group games, which start against Scotland on June 13. "Not every Haitian will be able to go to the US even if they wanted to," Louicius says. "After 52 years everyone wants to see the games, it's a bad thing that not everyone will have the chance."
Against all odds, Haiti topped their qualifying group, beating Honduras and Costa Rica to reach the expanded tournament. For betting markets, Haiti enter as massive underdogs in a group with Brazil, Scotland and Morocco. Given they couldn't even train at home or play in front of home crowds, expectations are understandably low.
But Louicius, 24, will make history when he faces Brazil in Philadelphia on June 19. "Everyone in Haiti is excited, and everyone who loves soccer in Haiti loves Brazil," he says. "Normally when Haiti are not in the World Cup people support Brazil or Argentina so for us to play them is big."
The Dallas FC forward has his own remarkable story. He moved to Atlanta alone at 14, staying with an American family he'd never met. "My parents didn't know them so we were taking a chance but they have become like a family to me," he says. Now he'll play Morocco in Atlanta on June 24.
"The hope for the players is that things will change, we hope we can help make a different country," Louicius said. It's a small hope. But for a nation that's been waiting 52 years, it's all they have.
