On November 18, 2025, the Haiti National Football Team ended a 52-year drought after topping Group C in the final round of CONCACAF qualifiers with wins over Costa Rica and then Nicaragua, to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This is only the second time the team has qualified, the last being in 1974.
The win represents a moment of immense national pride and celebration for Haitians globally, overcoming significant adversity. Playing all their matches at neutral sites due to internal issues, the team overcame many challenges to secure direct qualification for the tournament in North America.
This win is significant for Haitians for another reason: November 18, 1803, was the Battle of Vertières, the decisive final battle of the Haitian Revolution, where Haitian forces led by Jean-Jacques Dessalines defeated French troops, securing independence and establishing Haiti as the first free Black republic. This pivotal moment led to France abandoning its colonial ambitions in the Americas and directly paved the way for the formal declaration of Haitian independence on January 1, 1804.
Celebrations following the win over Nicaragua, combined with the National Holiday, will make it a day Haitians will remember for years to come!
The team is currently scheduled to play three matches in the US this summer:
June 13 vs Scotland at Foxborough
June 19 vs Brazil in Philadelphia
June 24 vs Morocco in Atlanta
