What's happened
Haiti's World Cup squad has limited access to visas and training as Port-au-Prince faces rising gang violence, forcing home games to be staged abroad while players train in Florida and other countries ahead of their June fixtures.
What's behind the headline?
Analysis
- Haiti is navigating a complex mix of sport and security, with most players competing outside Haiti while the federation works to secure visas for officials and players.
- The situation underscores how political and gang violence can directly impact national teams, delaying preparation and shaping the team’s public narrative.
- As preparations continue, the team is balancing travel logistics with the need to present a competitive squad on the world stage, which could affect performance in warmups against New Zealand and Peru and in the opening group match.
How we got here
The Haitian team has fought logistics and security hurdles, with most players abroad due to safety concerns at home. Haiti’s 1974 appearance remains its only previous World Cup showing, and officials are pressing for visa approvals and stable training conditions ahead of matches in the United States.
Our analysis
Associated Press and AP News report on Haiti’s World Cup squad, visas, and training disruptions; NY Post coverage provides additional context on the visa issue and the team’s training location.
Go deeper
- Will Haiti's visa delays affect their World Cup readiness?
- Where will Haiti play its World Cup home games if security remains a concern?
- Which players are training abroad and how might that affect team cohesion?
More on these topics
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Haiti - Country in the Caribbean
Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti formerly founded as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, to the east of Cuba and Jamaica and south of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos
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Port-au-Prince - Capital of Haiti
Port-au-Prince is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,310 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894.