Haiti Soccer Player Awaits U.S. Visa Ahead of 2026 World Cup

U.S. visa to join the national soccer team in Florida. The rest of the 26-player squad already trains outside Haiti. Pierre is the sole member still living in the country, where an estimated 70 percent of the capital is controlled by armed groups.

Haitian soccer federation spokesman Thecieux Jeanty said the visas for Pierre and about a dozen federation officials have not yet been issued. U.S. President Donald Trump expands travel restrictions that include Haiti. Pierre continues daily training on a synthetic pitch in the Pétion-Ville section of the capital.

Haiti’s squad arrived in Florida on Sunday, and most players began workouts in Port St. Lucie on Tuesday. Three additional players are due Wednesday. The team will play warm-up matches against New Zealand on Tuesday and Peru on June 5 before opening World Cup play against Scotland on June 13 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Pierre’s home neighborhood of Cité Soleil has experienced repeated gang violence; the latest United Nations report recorded more than 5,300 people displaced there. Jeanty said Pierre’s participation would give him a chance to showcase his skills to clubs abroad.

Haiti’s only previous World Cup appearance was in 1974, when nearly all players lived inside the country.