January 29, 2026
Haiti has confirmed its return to the global football stage by defeating Nicaragua with composure, ending more than fifty years of waiting. Played in Willemstad due to insecurity rendering the national stadium unusable, the match showcased great efficiency: a first goal by Louis Don Deedson in the 9th minute, followed by a strike from Providence just before halftime, sealed the outcome. Nicaragua, compact but outmatched, never found a breakthrough against a disciplined Haitian team that alternated tempo control with decisive acceleration.
This victory, which brings Haiti to 11 points at the top of Group C, is all the more significant given the Costa Rica–Honduras result — a 0–0 draw that could have reshaped the standings but ultimately had no effect on the Grenadiers’ destiny. At the final whistle, the explosion of joy extended far beyond Ergilio Hato Stadium to a country battered by prolonged political and social crisis, without an elected president since 2021 and without a Parliament since 2023.
Official qualification for the 2026 World Cup — hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico — has become a rare moment of national relief. While it does not mask ongoing emergencies, the achievement offers Haiti’s eleven million citizens a collective pride few dared hope for. The Grenadiers can now begin a new chapter: preparing for their second World Cup participation, fifty-two years after their first, with the quiet ambition of honoring a nation that has never stopped hoping.
