Woodensky Pierre, the sole member of Haiti’s national soccer team who remains on the island, has been cleared to travel to the United States after receiving a visa that will let him compete in the upcoming World Cup.
The approval comes despite a broader tightening of travel restrictions that the Trump administration had imposed on several nations, including Haiti, making Pierre’s passage an exception that highlights the diplomatic nuance behind the team’s preparation.
Pierre’s teammates have already landed in Florida, where they are staging a series of warm‑up matches against New Zealand and Peru before the tournament begins, while the Haitian squad has been forced to train in an upscale district of Port‑au‑Prince because its primary stadium was deemed too dangerous for regular use.
A historic opportunity for Haitian football
Haiti’s qualification marks only the second time the nation has reached the world’s premier soccer tournament, the first having come more than half a century ago, and the achievement has sparked renewed hope among fans who have long awaited a breakthrough on the global stage.
The decision to hold qualifiers in Curaçao underscores the security concerns that have limited Haiti’s home‑field options, a reality that has shaped the team’s recent preparations and added a layer of logistical complexity to their World Cup campaign.
The group stage draw places Haiti against Scotland in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on June 13, followed by matches against Brazil in Philadelphia on June 19 and Morocco in Atlanta on June 24, a schedule that will test the team’s depth and resilience.
Beyond the matches, Pierre and his colleagues are aiming to navigate past the group phase, a goal that would represent a historic milestone for Haitian football and underscore the significance of Pierre’s personal journey from the volatile streets of Cité Soleil to the world’s biggest stage.