Haiti’s national football team is awaiting the arrival of its sole domestic player who is currently seeking a US visa to join his teammates in Florida ahead of the World Cup.
Woodensky Pierre, a defensive midfielder for Violette AC, is based in Port-au-Prince, a city where an estimated 70 per cent of the area is under the control of violent gangs.
This starkly contrasts with the rest of the 25-man squad, whose members play professionally in leagues across England, France, Portugal, Canada, and the United States.
This year marks only the second time Haiti has qualified for the World Cup, with their previous appearance dating back to 1974.
The Haitian football federation spokesperson, Thecieux Jeanty, noted that almost every player on the 1974 squad was living and playing within Haiti at the time, highlighting a significant shift in the team’s composition.
The U.S. visas for Pierre and nearly a dozen other officials with the Haitian soccer federation have yet to come through as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump continues to expand travel restrictions from countries including Haiti.
Pierre continues to train at a field with synthetic grass in Pétion-Ville, an upscale area of Port-au-Prince, as he awaits his visa, “in hopes of being with his team as soon as possible,” Jeanty told The Associated Press in a phone interview Wednesday.
“I hope he doesn’t have to live in (Haiti) after the World Cup,” Jeanty said. “It’s an opportunity to present himself to the world and await a contract.”
The team’s home stadium in Port-au-Prince — not far from the neighborhood where Pierre is from — was deemed too dangerous, forcing Haiti to play its “home” World Cup qualifiers in Curaçao.
Pierre is from Cite Soleil, a seaside slum that has endured violence and hunger for years and serves as a base for powerful gang leaders. Cite Soleil has seen multiple massacres and gang rapes, with violence recently displacing more than 5,300 people, according to the latest report from the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration.
“It’s a source of pride for him,” Jeanty said of Pierre being able to play in the World Cup. “It’s satisfying for (soccer) officials and for the public, too. As you know, Haiti is in crisis.”
Pierre did not return messages seeking comment, and neither did the team’s coach.
Officials for Haiti’s squad arrived in Florida on Sunday, and players began training in Port St. Lucie on Tuesday. Three other players are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday, Jeanty said.
There is still time to resolve Pierre’s situation. Haiti will play two World Cup warmup matches, first against New Zealand on Tuesday and then against Peru on June 5, in South Florida.
Haiti opens World Cup play on June 13 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, against Scotland, then plays five-time champion Brazil on June 19 in Philadelphia and Morocco on June 24 in Atlanta.
Jeanty said he first made contact with Pierre in 2022, when they traveled together to Honduras for a under-20 match.
“I saw him as a top-level player,” Jeanty said, adding that “everybody’s very happy” to have Pierre on the team.
“There is soccer in Haiti,” Jeanty said. “It’s a country that wants to live.”
