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Jun 25, 2026
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Haitian Pride and Fear at World Cup

AI Summary
Haitians in the US express pride and fear as their team competes in the World Cup, with some facing visa issues and travel bans.

The World Cup Buzz in Little Haiti

New York — Fifty-two years separated Haiti’s last two World Cup goals from the two scored against Morocco on Wednesday. For 52-year-old Murielle Lodvil, the wait spanned her entire lifetime.

Watching from Afar

She was one of the many watching from the pockets of New York’s Little Haiti, where bars and restaurants fell quiet as fans watched the match unfold on screens before it burst into further chaos: an equaliser, a goal and then another equaliser in the frantic first half.

The Pride of Representation

Haiti went into the last group match with Morocco with elimination already sealed, after losing to both Scotland and Brazil in Group C. Haiti would concede twice more, but the result did little to diminish the occasion for Murielle.

  • Murielle bought tickets for her and 41-year-old sister, Barbara Albert, to watch Haiti face Brazil last week.
  • “That is why Haiti participating on this world stage was so special to me,” she said. “Every moment of this experience counts, ending with two goals, even with the outcome.”

The Visa Hurdles

The sense of pride was also visible at the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York last Wednesday. The state is home to the country’s second-largest Haitian community, home to about 113,000 Haitian residents, according to the US Census Bureau in 2024.

  • Thousands in wigs, Haitian jerseys and flags draped over their shoulders had filled the nearly sold-out, 19,000 seat stadium.
  • But not everyone that wanted to be here could make it. “I have a niece who has repeatedly been denied a visa to come to the United States,” said Maude Schwartz.

The Impact of Travel Bans

A travel ban imposed by the Trump administration, which began last year and was expanded in January, kept some supporters like Maude’s niece from attending.

  • Even players were affected. The defensive midfielder Woodensky Pierre, who lives in Haiti, was unable to travel to the United States to join the national team until 10 days before Haiti’s opening match against Scotland on June 13th.

Celebrations in Little Haiti

Back in Flatbush, the Brooklyn neighbourhood that many call Little Haiti, Nadege Fleurimond has thrown open the doors of her Haitian-Caribbean restaurant, BunNan, for every Haiti match, offering those priced out of the stadium, a way in.

  • “I am Haitian, and I am also American,” she said. “The United States gave me opportunities, education and the ability to build businesses and create jobs. Haiti gave me my roots, my values, my resilience and my culture,” she added.