Haiti at the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Squad, Manager, Fixtures & Tournament History

Haiti are returning to the FIFA World Cup™ for the first time since 1974 — a wait of more than half a century that makes their qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ in Canada, Mexico and the United States all the more meaningful. Les Grenadiers battled through a demanding CONCACAF qualifying campaign to earn their place in North America, and they arrive with a proud footballing tradition and a determination to make a lasting impression on the global stage.

The Coach: Sébastien Migné

Sébastien Migné was appointed Haiti head coach in March 2024 and oversaw the entire qualifying campaign that delivered this historic achievement. The French tactician began his playing career in the lower tiers of English football in the late 1990s before transitioning into coaching at the age of just 26.

He built his reputation across a wide-ranging career in national team management — taking charge of Oman, Congo DR, Congo and Togo before guiding Kenya to their first CAF Africa Cup of Nations appearance in 15 years in 2019. A spell with Equatorial Guinea was followed by an assistant role under Rigobert Song with Cameroon in 2022, before Haiti came calling. His brief at the time of his appointment was straightforward: "Our aim is to write a new chapter with this group of players, who know exactly what we're looking to do: make it to the World Cup." Mission accomplished.

Haiti's 2026 World Cup Fixtures & Group

13 June: Haiti v Scotland – Boston Stadium

19 June: Brazil v Haiti – Philadelphia Stadium

24 June: Morocco v Haiti – Atlanta Stadium

How Haiti Qualified

Haiti navigated two rounds of CONCACAF qualifying to reach the finals. In the second round, they finished as runners-up in Group C behind Curaçao — their only defeat a heavy 5-1 loss to the Blue Wave — before advancing to the third and final round.

There, drawn into Group C alongside Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua, Haiti produced a composed campaign. Their only defeat came away to Honduras (3-0), but crucially they took four points off Costa Rica and held their nerve when it mattered most. A goalless draw between Costa Rica and Honduras on the final matchday opened the door, and Haiti walked through it — a 2-0 win over Nicaragua on the same evening confirmed their return to the World Cup stage for the first time since 1974.

Haiti's World Cup Record

Confederation: CONCACAF

Best Finish: Group stage (1974)

Last Appearance: West Germany 1974 (Group stage)

First Appearance: West Germany 1974 (Group stage)

Total Appearances: 2 (1974, 2026)

Overall Record: P3 W0 D0 L3 F2 A14

Haiti's First — and Until Now, Only — World Cup: West Germany 1974

Haiti's sole World Cup appearance prior to 2026 came at the 1974 tournament in West Germany, having qualified by winning the CONCACAF Championship the previous year — a competition held on home soil in Port-au-Prince that doubled as the regional qualifier. They topped the standings despite a final-day 1-0 defeat to Mexico, and earned their place among the world's best.

The draw was unkind. Haiti were placed in a group alongside Italy — runners-up at the previous edition — an Argentina side featuring Mario Kempes, and a Grzegorz Lato-inspired Poland team who would go on to claim third place. Three defeats in three games told the story in results: 3-1 to Italy, 7-0 to Poland, and 4-1 to Argentina. But the scorelines did not tell the full story of Haiti's contribution to the tournament.

Haiti's All-Time World Cup Top Scorer

Emmanuel Sanon is the only Haitian to have scored at a World Cup, and he did it twice — making him the nation's all-time leading marksman at the tournament by default, but also by distinction. His first goal, against Italy, broke Dino Zoff's extraordinary run of 1,143 minutes without conceding for the Azzurri — a record that had stretched across 19 consecutive international matches. Sanon was under no illusions about what he was doing: "Everyone was asking themselves who'd manage to get the better of Dino Zoff. Nobody believed that a Haitian would do it. That bothered me because I knew I could do it."

His second came against Argentina — a thunderous strike past Daniel Carnevali — though the Albiceleste already led 3-0 by that point. Sanon's World Cup performances earned him a move to Beerschot in Belgium, where he won the 1979 Belgian Cup. He remains one of the most celebrated figures in Haitian football history.

Philippe Vorbe, whose perfectly weighted through-ball set up Sanon's goal against Italy, reflected on it warmly: "It remains Haiti's finest result to date. We managed to keep the Italians at bay for a good part of the match and, to cap it all, we were able to break Zoff's record."

Haiti's Most Capped World Cup Players

Seven Haitian players can claim three World Cup appearances each — the maximum possible given their single tournament outing in 1974: Eddy Antoine, Pierre Bayonne, Jean-Claude Désir, Henry Francillon, Emmanuel Sanon, Philippe Vorbe and former captain Wilner Nazaire. All seven featured in each of Haiti's three group-stage matches in West Germany.