June 05, 2026
Jeff Romance/Imagn Images
Can the Haitian national team overcome tremendous odds to just win its first World Cup game in nation history?
The World Cup is about to take over stadiums across North America and Philadelphia and for some, it's the sporting experience of a lifetime. For other more casual sports fans, and for many four-for-four Philly fans, it's hard to really unpack what's about to happen.
Over the course of around six weeks, the stadium typically called Lincoln Financial Field will host six games, five group stage matches and one knockout game boasting teams from nine different countries.
It's time for a crash course.
We'll help introduce you to each of the national squads competing in Philly in June and July, continuing with Haiti, the Caribbean country making its first World Cup appearance in more than 50 years. Can Haiti overcome some incredible odds and team hardship to make a splash on a global stage?
Some more things to know about Haiti:
Haiti is welcomed back to World Cup play for the first time since 1974 and still seeks its first Cup win in country history. That'll be challenging given their placement in Group C, which also features Brazil, Morocco and Scotland.
But Haiti will be inspired, perhaps even bringing its own Rocky story to Philadelphia. Not only did Haiti qualify for the Cup for the first time in 52 years, but "les Grenadiers" overcame some tremendous obstacles to get there. Because of civil unrest throughout the capital city and country, Haiti played all of its "home" Cup qualifiers in Curaçao.
Fun local fact: The Haitian national team will be practicing at Stockton University in Galloway, N.J., right outside Atlantic City.
Fun local fact #2: Haitian midfielder Danley Jean Jacques is in his third season with the Union. He has two goals in 13 games.
Haiti is a disciplined, tactical squad lacking elite talent. You won't find a ton of its players starring in playing high level European pro soccer like you would for Brazil, France and other powerhouses. The Haitians will have to capitalize on mistakes and have great execution on set pieces to even stick with some of the juggernauts in their group, but their story of getting here is compelling and can become legendary if they get their first Cup win.
• Duckens Nazon: He's the country's all-time leading goalscorer, has one of the sport's best nicknames – "Chouchou pèp la," which means "the peoples' sweetheart" – and is a fierce striker who can finish.
• Jean-Ricner Bellegarde: One of the few Haitians who plays high-level European soccer, the Wolverhampton (Premier League) midfielder controls pace and tempo with outstanding ball-distribution acumen.
• Hannes Delcroix: The defender plays also plays professionally in Europe, for Lugano of the Swiss Super League. He has also played in the Premier League. Delcroix was born in Haiti but raised in Belgium. The 27-year-old brings veteran know-how to an inexperienced team.
• Haiti is the most mountainous country in the Caribbean. Its indigenous name, "Ayiti," translates to "land of the mountains."
• Eating spaghetti for breakfast is a common custom in Haiti.
• The official flag of Venezuela was actually created in, and first flown in, Haiti.
• Haiti is home to the largest mountaintop fortress in the Americas, the Citadelle Laferrière.
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