Haiti Celebrates Qualification for the 2026 World Cup
Joy overflows in Haiti. The national team has secured its place in the FIFA World Cup 26™, an achievement that fills the Caribbean nation with pride.
Despite playing all their home matches on neutral ground, Haiti defied the odds and secured their qualification to the World Cup tournament after defeating Nicaragua 2-0 in the final matchday of Group C of the Concacaf third round of qualification.
The “Grenadiers” proved their worth against renowned rivals such as Costa Rica, quarter-finalist of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, Honduras, with three World Cup appearances, and a rising Nicaragua. Haiti surpassed everyone and is preparing for its second World Cup, the first since 1974.
The road to qualification was not easy. Haiti secured second place in the second round, surpassing Saint Lucia, Aruba, and Barbados, although suffering a 4-0 defeat against Curaçao.
The beginning of the third round was complicated. After a draw at home against Honduras, a difficult first half against Costa Rica arrived, with an adverse score of 2-0 at halftime. It was then that Haiti’s campaign took a turn.
Duckens Nazon, from the bench, scored a hat-trick that culminated in a 3-3 draw.
Despite everything, Haiti was outside the classification in the November window, but, once again, responded to adversity and defeated Costa Rica 1-0.
Honduras’ unfavorable results in Nicaragua and Costa Rica paved the way for this final triumph.
Nazon, just five goals away from becoming Haiti’s all-time leading scorer, was the key figure in the qualification with six goals, the most among all Concacaf players. Now, all of Haiti will have the opportunity to shine next year in North America.
