Haiti — World Cup 2026 Squad & Fixtures

Haiti's only World Cup appearance came in 1974, where they lost all three matches but produced one unforgettable moment: Emmanuel Sanon's goal against Italy ended Dino Zoff's 1,143-minute international run without conceding, a streak that had spanned more than two years. Sanon scored again against Argentina, finishing as Haiti's only World Cup goalscorer with two in three matches. The tournament brought no points and a last-place finish in the group, but Sanon's strike against Italy remains celebrated as one of the great World Cup shocks. Haiti's return in 2026 ends a 52-year wait, the longest absence of any qualified team.

Haiti qualified through the CONCACAF playoff pathway after finishing in the top four of their group stage and winning a two-legged playoff that tested their resilience away from home. The qualifying campaign was built on organised defending and counter-attacking football: Haiti conceded fewer goals than any other team in their group while scoring fewer than expected. Manager Gabriel Calvé installed a discipline that previous Haitian teams lacked, and the results followed: clean sheets in away matches that previous squads would have lost.

Haiti's 2026 squad is more organised than the 1974 side but faces opponents with more resources, deeper benches, and higher-ranked players. Group I pairs them with Iraq, Scotland, and South Korea, three teams with more recent tournament experience. A goal in the tournament, any result against any opponent, would improve on a record that currently reads zero points from three matches. Matching Sanon's achievement, scoring against a footballing power, is the specific ambition that connects this team to its history.

Duckens Nazon has been Haiti's primary goal threat for a decade, a winger turned striker whose pace on the counter-attack gives Haiti their most reliable route to goal. Bryan Louis controls midfield tempo in a squad that spends long stretches without the ball: his passing accuracy under pressure keeps Haiti's transitions connected when opponents are pressing high.