After decades of rooting for soccer powerhouse Brazil, many Haitian fans now face mixed loyalties as Haiti’s national team heads to its first World Cup in 52 years — where they will face the five-time world champions themselves.
It's a moment that resonates beyond the sport. At a time of chaos, tragedy and unrest in the nation, appearing on the biggest international sporting stage is a chance to show off its competitive and cultural spirit.
The triumph of qualification was already rife with fighting symbolism.
The Haiti men's team, nicknamed Les Grenadiers, earned its first FIFA World Cup berth since 1974 with a 2–0 win over Nicaragua on Nov. 18, 2025, on the anniversary of the Battle of Vertières — the final major battle of the Haitian Revolution against France.
Less than a month later, there was more celebration when the team was rewarded with a clash for the ages. Haiti was drawn in Group C for this summer's event, alongside Morocco, Scotland — and Brazil.
READ MORE: ICE threats, ticket prices dampen the World Cup samba for Broward's Brazilian community
It revived a long-running question for many Haitian fans: Haiti or Brazil?
“A lot of people said they’re wearing dual jackets,” Wanda Tima told WLRN. The South Florida based entrepreneur is the founder of L’Union Suite, one of the largest Haitian-American digital media platforms.
For years, many soccer fans embraced Brazil’s team as their own because Haiti’s national team hadn’t qualified for the World Cup in decades.
When Brazil won, Haiti won.
Now, Haitians are grappling with that dual loyalty, Tima said.
After perusing through analytics and comments across social media platforms, she expects a lot of “Haiti jerseys on top, Brazil jerseys worn underneath.”
“For the die-hard football fans, it is Haiti and Brazil,” she added. “They are celebrating both.”
The duality debate is part of the playful, meme-filled banter common across the football world, but when it comes down to it, Les Grenadiers will have the nation's full-throated support.
The intense Haitian energy and pride leading up to the tournament is building during May — Haitian Heritage Month — which includes celebrations such as Haitian Flag Day (May 18) and Haitian Mother's Day (May 29).
As part of the festivities and preparation ahead of the big games, Haiti has local friendly matches against New Zealand, at the Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on June 2, and against Peru, at the Nu Stadium in Miami on June 5.
The 2026 World Cup, which kicks off on June 11, will be played across Canada, Mexico and USA, with seven games taking place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Haiti's Les Grenadiers will face off against Brazil in Philadelphia on June 19.
South Florida is home to the country's largest Haitian population, but the Haitian presence in cities like Boston, Philadelphia and Atlanta is expected to draw strong support from the diaspora.
Haiti's World Cup group stage games:
June 15: Haiti vs Scotland (Boston)
June 19: Brazil vs Haiti (Philadelphia)
June 24: Morocco vs Haiti (Atlanta)
Tima’s younger brother, Saurel Olrish, is a former center-back who played for the Haiti national soccer team in 2013 and 2014. She said her family are devoted Haiti fans through and through — there won’t be any double jerseys in their living rooms.
She said this World Cup gives her family a chance to finally cheer on Haitian stars on soccer’s biggest stage, while also telling richer stories about Haitian players and culture beyond the security crisis in Port-au-Prince.
“Our community needs these stories. We need to be reminded; we need to see who we are as a collective,” she said. "And we also need to show people that we are not just political unrest. We are not just, you know, little kidnapping stories or what you're hearing coming out of primarily one city.”
“Grenadye Alaso” Haitian pride and football skills
Haiti’s head coach, Sébastien Migné, who is French, has handled much of the recruiting and organizing remotely due to politically-motivated gang violence in the capital. The team is largely made up of Haitian players based abroad, who train with their clubs for most of the year and come together for national team camps and matches.
In fact, the team became the first nation to make it to the World Cup having played no qualification games on home soil.
While Haitians can’t escape the harsh sociopolitical realities on the ground in parts of Haiti, many hope the World Cup can bring a focus on the beauty and complexity of Haitian culture, individual player storylines and the game itself.
On the field, Migné is being praised for his coaching style.
“Migné has the ability to set up a team that can play in different ways,” said Paul Junior Prudent, a New York–based independent sports journalist who grew up in Haiti. “That’s why people see him as a tactician — he can make in-game changes, move one player, and bring in another.”
“We have some really talented players, and he has been using them well,” he added.
Sincere Haitian representation on the world stage matters deeply to fans, they will be rooting for their stars — from captain and goalkeeper Johny Placide to attacking players like Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Frantzdy Pierrot, Wilson Isidor and Duckens Nazon, Haiti’s all-time leading scorer with 44 goals in 76 appearances.
The squad also includes defensive anchors Ricardo Adé and Carlens Arcus — who is enjoying a strong season in France's Ligue 1— alongside midfield duo Leverton Pierre and Danley Jean-Jacques.
Despite being drawn in one of the toughest groups in the tournament, the head coach is setting his sights high — but focusing on the bigger picture.
"On our new roadmap, there’s qualification for the round of 32. That is neither more nor less than what we’ll modestly aim to achieve, whilst trying to focus on the game rather than the stakes," Migné told FIFA.
"I expect my lads to show generosity, to connect with one another, and to present the best possible image. The World Cup is a fantastic showcase for Haiti."
The players often hear “Grenadye alaso" during their matches, which means “Grenadiers, attack.”
The chant, which traces its roots to revolutionary France, is embraced by fans as a symbol of resilience both on and off the field.
It signifies looking "toward a brighter future, especially in the U.S.," Prudent said.
“Grenadye, Alaso... despite what’s going on politically [in Haiti], despite what’s going on in the immigration here in the U.S. That’s the idea of that slogan."
Sign up for WLRN's Soccer Edition newsletter for World Cup stories — beyond the scores.
