Haiti national football team facts for kids

The Haiti national football team represents Haiti in international soccer. The team is managed by the Fédération Haïtienne de Football (Haitian Football Federation). This group helps organize soccer in Haiti. Haiti has been a member of FIFA since 1934. They were also a founding member of CONCACAF in 1961. Regionally, they joined the CFU in 1978.

Haiti's home stadium is Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince. The team is known by nicknames like Les Grenadiers (The Grenadiers) and Le Rouge et Bleu (The Red and Blue).

Haiti is the most successful Caribbean team in its region. They are the only team from the Caribbean to win a CONCACAF title. They won the CONCACAF Championship in 1973. Haiti also won the CCCF Championship in 1957. They have won two Caribbean Cup titles as well.

Haiti has a long history in soccer. They were the second Caribbean team to play in the FIFA World Cup. This happened after they won the 1973 CONCACAF Championship. Their only World Cup appearance was in 1974. They played against strong teams like Italy, Poland, and Argentina. In 2016, Haiti played in the Copa América for the first time. They qualified by beating Trinidad and Tobago.

Quick facts for kids
Haiti

Nickname(s)	Les Grenadiers (The Grenadiers) Le Rouge et Bleu (The Red and Blue) Les Bicolores (The Bicolor) La Sélection Nationale (The National Selection)
Association	Fédération Haïtienne de Football (FHF)
Confederation	CONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederation	CFU (Caribbean)
Head coach	Johny Placide
Captain	Johny Placide
Most caps	Pierre Richard Bruny (95)
Top scorer	Duckens Nazon (40)
Home stadium	Stade Sylvio Cator
FIFA code	HAI
First colours Second colours Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current	103 (7 February 2019)
Highest	38 (January 2013)
Lowest	155 (April 1996)
Elo ranking
Current	80 4 (3 March 2019)
Highest	40 (December 1973)
Lowest	121 (April 1996)
First international
Haiti 1–2 Jamaica  (Port-au-Prince, Haiti; 22 March 1925)
Biggest win
Haiti 13–0 Sint Maarten  (Port-au-Prince, Haiti; 10 September 2018)
Biggest defeat
Mexico 8–0 Haiti  (Mexico City, Mexico; 19 July 1953)  Brazil Olympic Team 9–1 Haiti  (Chicago, United States; 2 September 1959)  Costa Rica 8–0 Haiti  (San José, Costa Rica; 19 March 1961)
World Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 1974)
Best result	Group stage (1974)
CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup
Appearances	17 (first in 1965)
Best result	Champions (1973)
Copa América
Appearances	1 (first in 2016)
Best result	Group stage (2016)
Medal record CONCACAF Championship Gold 1973 Haiti Team Silver 1971 Trinidad and Tobago Team Silver 1977 Mexico Team CCCF Championship Gold 1957 Netherlands Antilles Team CFU Championship / Caribbean Cup Gold 1979 Suriname Team Gold 2007 Trinidad and Tobago Team Silver 2001 Trinidad and Tobago Team Bronze 1978 Trinidad and Tobago Team Bronze 1998 Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica Team Bronze 1999 Trinidad and Tobago Team Bronze 2012 Antigua and Barbuda Team Bronze 2014 Jamaica Team

Team History: How Haiti's Soccer Began

Early Soccer Days

Le Nouvelliste, a Haitian newspaper, reported on Haiti's first official match in 1925.

The Haitian Football Federation joined FIFA in 1933. This allowed Haiti to play in the qualifiers for the 1934 World Cup in Italy. The team, led by coach Édouard Baker, played three games against Cuba. All these matches were in Port-au-Prince. Haiti lost two games and tied one.

Haiti did not play in the World Cup qualifiers again until 1954. In 1954, they played against the United States and Mexico. Haiti lost all its matches, including a big 8–0 defeat to Mexico. They then stopped playing in World Cup qualifiers until 1970.

Regionally, Haiti won the CCCF Championship in 1957. This was their first time in the tournament. They had a huge 6–1 win against Cuba. Haiti also played in the 1959 Pan American Games. They finished fourth in that competition.

In 1961, Haiti joined CONCACAF. This new organization was formed by combining two older soccer groups. Haiti played in the second CONCACAF Championship in 1965. They finished last, losing all five games. Coach Antoine Tassy resigned but returned the next year. He led the team to win the Coupe Duvalier.

For the 1967 qualifiers, Haiti finished first in their group. They were undefeated, even beating Trinidad and Tobago 4–2. In the final round, Haiti finished fifth.

For the 1970 World Cup qualifiers, Haiti was in a group with Guatemala and Trinidad and Tobago. Coach Antoine Tassy helped Haiti play well. They won against Trinidad and Tobago 4–0 and Guatemala 2–0. They tied Guatemala 1–1. Haiti lost one game at home to Trinidad and Tobago 2–4. They moved to the second round.

Haiti then beat the United States. They went on to the final round against El Salvador. Haiti lost the first game at home 1–2. But they won 3–0 in El Salvador. A deciding game was played in Jamaica, where Haiti lost 1–0 in overtime.

Haiti's Golden Age in Soccer

Haiti's captain Wilner Nazaire playing against Italy at the 1974 World Cup.

The 1970s were a great time for Haitian soccer. Haiti was seen as one of the strongest teams in the CONCACAF region. They were often compared to Mexico and Costa Rica. Players like Henri Francillon, Philippe Vorbe, and Emmanuel Sanon were key to the team's success.

Haiti reached the final round of the 1970 World Cup qualifiers. They played against El Salvador. After losing the first game, Haiti won the second 3–0. A tie-breaker game was played, which El Salvador won.

In the 1974 World Cup qualifiers, Haiti played all their games at home. They finished first in their group and qualified for the World Cup for the first time! In West Germany, they were in a tough group. They faced Italy, Argentina, and Poland.

In their first World Cup game against Italy, the score was 0–0 at halftime. Then, Emmanuel Sanon scored a goal for Haiti. This surprised everyone! Sanon's goal ended Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff's amazing record. He had not let in a goal for 1143 minutes in international matches. Haiti lost that game 3–1. They then lost to Poland (0–7) and Argentina (1–4). Haiti finished last in their group.

After the 1970s: Challenges and Comebacks

After the 1970s, Haiti tried to qualify for the 1978 and 1982 World Cups but did not make it. Haiti's soccer status declined over the years. The country's situation caused some players to leave the team. The team has been rebuilding with players from the Haitian community in Miami, Florida. Some home games have even been played there.

In January 2010, a big earthquake hit Haiti. At least 30 people connected to Haitian soccer died. This included players, coaches, and referees.

Recent Years: Post-Earthquake Efforts

In November 2011, Haiti was knocked out of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. This happened under coach Edson Tavares. In 2012, Israel Blake Cantero became the coach. He led the team to finish third in the 2012 Caribbean Championship. This earned them a spot in the 2013 Gold Cup.

In June 2013, Haiti played well against strong teams. They had a close 2–1 loss to Spain, who were world champions. They also had an impressive 2–2 draw with Italy.

In the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Haiti beat Grenada. They reached the fourth round but did not qualify further. In 2019, Haiti had their best run in the CONCACAF Gold Cup. They won all three group stage games. They came back from being down 2–0 to beat Canada 3–2 in the Quarter-finals. They lost 1–0 to Mexico in the Semi-finals.

Team Colors and Gear

Team Colors

The Haiti national team uses two main colors: red and blue. These colors come from the flag of Haiti. During a certain period in Haiti's history, the flag's blue color was changed to black. This change was also seen in the team's 1974 World Cup uniform.

Over the years, Haiti's uniforms have changed many times. The home uniform is usually all blue. Sometimes it has blue shirts with red shorts and blue socks. The away uniform is usually the opposite: all red, or mostly red shirts with blue shorts and red socks. Haiti sometimes has a third uniform, which is usually all white. The team also wears the Federation's crest on their shirts and sometimes on their shorts.

Kit Suppliers

Many companies have made uniforms for Haiti. The first known supplier was Adidas for the 1974 World Cup. In 2013, Haiti signed a five-year deal with a Colombian company called Saeta. This agreement ended after eight years.

Kit supplier	Period	Note
Adidas	1974
Uhlsport	1998
Finta	2000
Sport Globe	2002
Joma	2004
Umbro	2004–2006
Finta	2006
Diadora	2007
Finta	2007–2008
Wanga Neguess	2008
Plus One	2009
Wanga Neguess	2010
Adidas	2010–2013
Saeta	2013–present

Recent Matches and Future Games

This section shows Haiti's recent soccer match results and upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

Haiti played several matches in 2024 as part of the CONCACAF Nations League. They had a very strong performance, winning all their games.

Puerto Rico  v  Haiti

6 September 2024–25 Nations League	Puerto Rico	1–4	Haiti	Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
20:00 UTC−4	G. Díaz  28'		Jean Jacques  50' Pierrot  59' Louicius  76' Nazon  83'	Stadium: Estadio Centroamericano de Mayagüez Referee: Filip Dujic (Canada)

Haiti  v  Sint Maarten

9 September 2024–25 Nations League	Haiti	6–0	Sint Maarten	Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
17:00 UTC−4	Attys  41' Nazon  59', 75', 82' Cantave  76', 84'			Stadium: Estadio Centroamericano de Mayagüez Referee: Carly Shaw-MacLaren (Canada)

Aruba  v  Haiti

11 October 2024–25 Nations League	Aruba	1–3	Haiti	Oranjestad, Aruba
20:00 UTC−4	Perret Gentil  6'		Pierrot  30' Nazon  38' (pen.), 61'	Stadium: Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadium Referee: Kwinsi Williams (Trinidad and Tobago)

Haiti  v  Aruba

14 October 2024–25 Nations League	Haiti	5–3	Aruba	Oranjestad, Aruba
20:00 UTC−4	Jean Jacques  16' Louicius  42' Nazon  66' (pen.) Picault  76' Pierrot  89' (pen.)		Ostiana  14' (pen.), 20' Kruydenhof  78'	Stadium: Guillermo Prospero Trinidad Stadium Referee: David Gómez (Costa Rica)

Sint Maarten  v  Haiti

15 November 2024–25 Nations League	Sint Maarten	0–8	Haiti	Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
21:00 UTC−4			Attys  1' Pierrot  14', 24', 52' Lacroix  19' Nazon  49', 58' (pen.) Prunier  66'	Stadium: Estadio Centroamericano de Mayagüez Referee: Norberto da Silva (Curaçao)

Haiti  v  Puerto Rico

18 November 2024–25 Nations League	Haiti	3–0	Puerto Rico	Mayagúez, Puerto Rico
21:00 UTC−4	Attys  29' Louicius  53' Pierrot  70'			Stadium: Estadio Centroamericano de Mayagúez Referee: Rubiel Vázquez (United States)

2025 Matches

Haiti has played several matches in 2025, including friendlies, World Cup qualifiers, and Gold Cup group stage games.

Azerbaijan  v  Haiti

22 March Friendly	Azerbaijan	0–3	Haiti	Sumgayit, Azerbaijan
21:45 UTC+4			Pierrot  9', 63' Jean Jacques  83'	Stadium: Sumgayit City Stadium Referee: Kadir Sağlam (Turkey)

Aruba  v  Haiti

7 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Aruba	0–5	Haiti	Oranjestad, Aruba
17:00 UTC−4			Jean Jacques  29' Pierrot  35' Providence  61' Nazon  67' Prunier  86'	Stadium: Trinidad Stadium Attendance: 673 Referee: Luis Enrique Santander (Mexico)

Haiti  v  Curaçao

10 June 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	Haiti	1–5	Curaçao	Oranjestad, Aruba
18:00 UTC−4	Louicius  61'		Kastaneer  12' Gorré  15' Margaritha  69' Felida  89' Antonisse  90+3'	Stadium: Trinidad Stadium Attendance: 1,115 Referee: Steven Madrigal (Costa Rica)

Haiti  v  Saudi Arabia

15 June 2025 Gold Cup GS	Haiti	0–1	Saudi Arabia	San Diego, United States
17:15 UTC−7			Al-Shehri  21' (pen.)	Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium Attendance: 7,736 Referee: Walter López (Guatemala)

Trinidad and Tobago  v  Haiti

19 June 2025 Gold Cup GS	Trinidad and Tobago	1–1	Haiti	Houston, United States
17:45 UTC−5	J. Garcia  68'		Pierrot  49'	Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium Attendance: 2,409 Referee: Ismael Cornejo (El Salvador)

United States  v  Haiti

22 June 2025 Gold Cup GS	United States	2–1	Haiti	Arlington, United States
18:00 UTC−5	Tillman  10' Agyemang  75'		Louicius  19'	Stadium: AT&T Stadium Attendance: 20,918 Referee: Katia García (Mexico)

Coaching Staff

Current Coaches

The current coaching staff helps the team train and prepare for matches.

Name	Position
Sebastien Migne	Head coach
Évariste Jocelyn	Assistant coach
Frantz Joséphine	Assistant coach
Victorien Claudien	Fitness coach
Vincentin Beaudiere	Goalkeeping coach
Mickaël Flavien	Match analyst
Joris Renaissance Paulin Marchette	Doctors
Christophe Maxime Erasme Papillon Léandre Aïeux André Duplexe	Physiotherapists
Loris Benoît	Team coordinator
Géraldin Biscuit	Technical director

Team Players

Current Squad

These players were chosen for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches and the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Player information is correct as of June 19, 2025, after the match against Trinidad and Tobago.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Johny Placide	(1988-01-29) 29 January 1988 (age 37)	75	0	Bastia
12	1GK	Alexandre Pierre	(2001-02-25) 25 February 2001 (age 24)	11	0	Sochaux
23	1GK	Garissone Innocent	(2000-04-16) 16 April 2000 (age 25)	2	0	Unattached
2	2DF	Carlens Arcus	(1996-06-28) 28 June 1996 (age 29)	46	1	Angers
3	2DF	Francois Dulysse	(1999-04-13) 13 April 1999 (age 26)	13	0	Unattached
4	2DF	Ricardo Adé	(1990-05-21) 21 May 1990 (age 35)	49	2	LDU Quito
6	2DF	Garven Metusala	(1999-12-31) 31 December 1999 (age 25)	12	0	Colorado Springs Switchbacks
8	2DF	Martin Expérience	(1999-03-09) 9 March 1999 (age 26)	14	0	Nancy
13	2DF	Duke Lacroix	(1993-10-14) 14 October 1993 (age 31)	8	2	Colorado Springs Switchbacks
22	2DF	Jean-Kévin Duverne	(1997-07-12) 12 July 1997 (age 28)	11	1	Kortrijk
24	2DF	Wilguens Paugain	(2001-08-24) 24 August 2001 (age 23)	3	0	Zulte Waregem
5	3MF	Carl Sainté	(2002-08-09) 9 August 2002 (age 22)	22	0	Phoenix Rising
14	3MF	Leverton Pierre	(1998-03-09) 9 March 1998 (age 27)	26	0	Châteauroux
17	3MF	Danley Jean Jacques	(2000-05-20) 20 May 2000 (age 25)	22	5	Philadelphia Union
19	3MF	Joseph Belmar	(2005-10-13) 13 October 2005 (age 19)	6	0	Sion
21	3MF	Christopher Attys	(2001-03-13) 13 March 2001 (age 24)	13	3	Lecco
9	4FW	Duckens Nazon	(1994-04-07) 7 April 1994 (age 31)	68	40	Kayserispor
10	4FW	Don Deedson Louicius	(2001-02-11) 11 February 2001 (age 24)	22	7	FC Dallas
11	4FW	Dany Jean	(2002-11-28) 28 November 2002 (age 22)	18	1	Torreense
15	4FW	Mikaël Cantave	(1996-10-25) 25 October 1996 (age 28)	20	4	Vancouver
16	4FW	Mondy Prunier	(1999-12-22) 22 December 1999 (age 25)	19	7	Francs Borains
18	4FW	Ruben Providence	(2001-07-07) 7 July 2001 (age 24)	5	1	Almere City
20	4FW	Frantzdy Pierrot	(1995-03-29) 29 March 1995 (age 30)	41	32	AEK Athens
25	4FW	Téo James Michel	(2004-05-03) 3 May 2004 (age 21)	2	0	Châteauroux
	4FW	Fafà Picault	(1991-02-23) 23 February 1991 (age 34)	15	1	Inter Miami

Player Records

These tables show the players with the most appearances and most goals for Haiti.

Pierre Richard Bruny has played the most games for Haiti, with 95 appearances.

Most Games Played

Duckens Nazon is Haiti's top scorer with 40 goals.

Most Goals Scored

Team Achievements

Continental Titles

• CONCACAF Championship
  • Champions (1): 1973
  • Runners-up (2): 1971, 1977

Regional Titles

• CCCF Championship (an older regional competition)
  • Champions (1): 1957
• CFU Championship / Caribbean Cup
  • Champions (2): 1979, 2007
  • Runners-up (1): 2001
  • Third place (5): 1978, 1998, 1999, 2012, 2014

Friendly Tournament Wins

• Saint Kitts and Nevis Football Festival (1): 2003
• Haiti International Tournament (1): 1997
• Coupe Duvalier (1): 1966
• Triangular Tournament (1): 1956
• Paul Magloire President Cup (1): 1956

Awards

• Caribbean Cup Fair Play Award (1): 2014

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Haití para niños