{"id":36609,"date":"2026-01-02T22:16:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T03:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/01\/02\/haitis-journey-to-world-cup-2026-key-players-squad-insights-and-historical-highlights\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T22:16:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T03:16:16","slug":"haitis-journey-to-world-cup-2026-key-players-squad-insights-and-historical-highlights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/2026\/01\/02\/haitis-journey-to-world-cup-2026-key-players-squad-insights-and-historical-highlights\/","title":{"rendered":"Haiti\u2019s Journey to World Cup 2026: Key Players, Squad Insights, and Historical Highlights"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-v-746446fd=\"\">\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\">Haiti is making its second World Cup appearance, and the first as a team since 1974. The squad features players from diverse leagues across France, the United States, and the Caribbean, showcasing an expanding international presence built over the last decade. This achievement marks a significant milestone for a program that has been progressing through competitions like the Gold Cup and Nations League.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\"><strong>Path to Qualification:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\">Haiti secured its spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup by topping Group C in the third round of CONCACAF qualifiers. The team played six matches, achieving three victories and two draws\u2014all while competing outside of its home country, demonstrating their resilience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd;\"><strong>World Cup Group Stage Matches:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul displaynav=\"true\" class=\"mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\" data-v-7259cf83=\"\">\n<li class=\"ff-h\" data-v-7259cf83=\"\"><span data-v-7259cf83=\"\">June 13th: <strong><u>Haiti vs Scotland<\/u><\/strong> \u2014 Boston Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts (9 p.m. ET)<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"ff-h\" data-v-7259cf83=\"\"><span data-v-7259cf83=\"\">June 19th: <strong><u>Haiti vs Brazil<\/u><\/strong> \u2014 Philadelphia Stadium (9 p.m. ET)<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"ff-h\" data-v-7259cf83=\"\"><span data-v-7259cf83=\"\">June 24th: <strong><u>Haiti vs Morocco<\/u><\/strong> \u2014 Atlanta Stadium (6 p.m. ET)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"delta-video-container article-content mg-b-25\" playerscreenurl=\"https:\/\/d3ayhwgrwyc4j8.cloudfront.net\/mcvod\/fmc-mjlpvn1ficqndhfg_VX-14894071--518647\/hls\/v1_1\/index.m3u8\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\" data-v-8432653a=\"\">\n<h3 class=\"video-title\" data-v-8432653a=\"\">Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland | 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw<\/h3>\n<div class=\"video-player-container playinline\" data-v-8432653a=\"\">\n<picture class=\"thumbnail\" data-v-8432653a=\"\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxsports.com\/static-media.fox.com\/fmc\/prod\/sports\/VX-14894071\/1600\/900\/019z3qubkyiwh7fn.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" width=\"80\" height=\"80\" media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" data-v-8432653a=\"\"><source srcset=\"https:\/\/a57.foxsports.com\/static-media.fox.com\/fmc\/prod\/sports\/VX-14894071\/1600\/900\/019z3qubkyiwh7fn.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" width=\"110\" height=\"110\" media=\"(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)\" data-v-8432653a=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a57.foxsports.com\/static-media.fox.com\/fmc\/prod\/sports\/VX-14894071\/1600\/900\/019z3qubkyiwh7fn.jpg?ve=1&amp;tl=1\" alt=\"Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland | 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"175\" height=\"175\" class=\"thumbnail\" data-v-8432653a=\"\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n<p>Group C for the 2026 FIFA World Cup includes Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\"><strong>Previous World Cup History:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\"><strong>Haiti&#8217;s Highest World Cup Ranking:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul displaynav=\"true\" class=\"mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\" data-v-7259cf83=\"\">\n<li class=\"ff-h\" data-v-7259cf83=\"\"><span data-v-7259cf83=\"\">The team did not advance past the group stage during its only prior appearance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\"><strong>Key Players for Haiti at the World Cup:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\">Dakens Nazon stands out as one of Haiti&#8217;s most prolific players, having participated in numerous Gold Cups and Nations League matches, and holds the record as the team\u2019s all-time top scorer. Hannes Delcroix, a versatile defender born in Belgium, has experience at the top level with clubs like Anderlecht and Burnley and has represented Haiti on the international stage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\"><strong>Coaching Staff for the Haiti National Team:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\">S\u00e9bastien Minet, who has coached national teams in Kenya, Congo, and Equatorial Guinea, is now leading Haiti. He brings extensive experience from African and international tournaments, including guiding Kenya to the 2019 African Cup of Nations, along with a background as a player in both England and France.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\"><strong>All-Time Top Scorers for Haiti:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul displaynav=\"true\" class=\"article-content mg-b-25\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\" data-v-7259cf83=\"\">\n<li class=\"ff-h\" data-v-7259cf83=\"\"><span data-v-7259cf83=\"\"><i>Duckens Nazon: 44 goals (current player)<\/i><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"ff-h\" data-v-7259cf83=\"\"><span data-v-7259cf83=\"\">Notable clubs include Lorient II, Saint-Quentin Olympique, Laval, Coventry City, Oldham Athletic, St-Truiden, Saint-Loon, CSKA Sofia, Caieslispor, Esteghlal.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\"><strong>Haiti&#8217;s All-Time Caps Leader:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul displaynav=\"true\" class=\"mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\" data-v-7259cf83=\"\">\n<li class=\"ff-h\" data-v-7259cf83=\"\"><span data-v-7259cf83=\"\">Pierre Richard Bruny: 95 caps<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"ff-h\" data-v-7259cf83=\"\"><span data-v-7259cf83=\"\">Played for Don Bosco FC and Joe Public.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\"><strong>Haiti&#8217;s Team Nickname:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\"><strong>Country Overview:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul displaynav=\"true\" class=\"mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\" data-v-7259cf83=\"\">\n<li class=\"ff-h\" data-v-7259cf83=\"\"><span data-v-7259cf83=\"\">Population: Approximately 11.96 million people<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"ff-h\" data-v-7259cf83=\"\"><span data-v-7259cf83=\"\">Capital: Port-au-Prince<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"ff-h fs-16 lh-1pt6 mg-b-15 article-content\" use-external-image=\"false\" data-v-746446fd=\"\"><i>Want great articles delivered straight to your inbox?<\/i> <i><u>Create or log in to your FOX Sports account<\/u><\/i> <i> to follow leagues, teams, and players and receive personalized newsletters daily!<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Fan Take:<\/strong> Haiti&#8217;s qualification for the World Cup is a testament to the country&#8217;s growing soccer talent and determination, which could inspire future generations of players. Their strong international representation showcases the potential for soccer to unite and elevate nations on the global stage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Haiti is making its second World Cup appearance, and the first as a team since 1974. The squad features players from diverse leagues across France, the United States, and the Caribbean, showcasing an expanding international presence built over the last decade. This achievement marks a significant milestone for a program that has been progressing through [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36610,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[913,40,7556,1261,8133,1197,879,387,46,881,45,1072,42],"class_list":{"0":"post-36609","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-football","8":"tag-cup","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-haitis","11":"tag-highlights","12":"tag-historical","13":"tag-insights","14":"tag-journey","15":"tag-key","16":"tag-news","17":"tag-players","18":"tag-soccer","19":"tag-squad","20":"tag-world"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36609\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}