Haiti has reached the World Cup for only the second time, even though its coach has never set foot in the country.
Sebastien Migne, a 52-year-old French manager, was hired 18 months ago. He has never been able to visit Haiti because the conflict there makes it too dangerous. Haiti now plays its “home” games in Curaçao, about 500 miles away.
Haiti has been unstable since the 2010 earthquake. Armed gangs control most of Port-au-Prince. About 1.3 million people have been forced from their homes, and many face severe hunger. Foreign governments warn travellers not to go because of kidnappings, crime, terrorism, and unrest.
Migne said it was impossible to go. He normally lives in the countries he works in, but there are no commercial flights into Haiti, and the risks are too high.
Instead, he coached remotely. Haitian football officials phoned him with details about local players, and he built the team from abroad.
The squad is now entirely foreign-based. It includes France-born midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who plays for Wolves in the Premier League in England. They also hope to bring in another Premier League star in Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor, who was born in France to Haitian parents.
Haiti qualified by beating Nicaragua 2–0. Their last World Cup appearance was in 1974, when they lost to Italy, Poland, and Argentina.
Panama and Curaçao also qualified from the Concacaf region. Curaçao will be making its first-ever World Cup appearance, having beaten Jamaica 2-0 to knock out the Reggae Boyz.
The number of countries qualifying for the World Cup has been increased to 48 for 2026, giving more countries the chance to qualify. The US, Canada, and Mexico qualify automatically as hosts and are joined by 45 other teams for the month-long competition that will be played in searing heat next summer.
Sources; BBC. FIFA.