Haiti Name First World Cup Squad Since 1974: Fifth-Tier German Keeper, Isidor on Board
Sébastien Migné has named Haiti's 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup, the country's first appearance at a finals since West Germany 1974. Captain Johny Placide leads three goalkeepers, including FC Cosmos Koblenz's Josué Duverger from the German fifth tier. Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor commits to the project. Haiti drawn with Brazil, Morocco and Scotland, the exact group from France 98.
H aiti head coach Sébastien Migné has named the 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup, the country's first appearance at a finals since their debut in West Germany 1974. Captain Johny Placide of SC Bastia leads a list of 26 with players drawn from 11 different national leagues, from MLS and Liga Portugal to the Iranian top flight and the German fifth tier.
The most discussed individual selection is the third-choice goalkeeper Josué Duverger, who plays his club football for FC Cosmos Koblenz in Germany's fifth-tier Oberliga Rheinland. The 26-year-old, born in Canada, joined the German amateur side in 2024 after spells in Portugal and is the first Haitian to be linked to the German football pyramid at any senior level. FC Cosmos sit ninth in their regional division after four successive wins lifted them out of a relegation fight.
Duverger played in Haiti's 3-3 draw with Costa Rica during the successful qualifying campaign. The squad now offers him a route to the World Cup, although first-choice duties belong to Placide. Alexandre Pierre of FC Sochaux is the third goalkeeper. The defensive group spans Angers, Gent, Lugano, Colorado Springs and LDU Quito, with Hannes Delcroix and Jean-Kevin Duverne the most senior European-based names.
In midfield the spine is built around Wolves playmaker Jeanricner Bellegarde, with Leverton Pierre, Carl-Fred Sainthe, Jean-Jacques Danley, Pierre Woodenski and Dominique Simon completing the six. Up front Migné has a deep nine-man attack: Wilson Isidor, fresh off a Premier League season at Sunderland, headlines a group that includes Auxerre's Josué Casimir, Toronto FC's Derrick Etienne, Almere City's Ruben Providence and Ferencváros forward Lenny Joseph.
Haiti are in a group reminiscent of their last 20th-century tournament heartbreak. They will face Brazil, Morocco and Scotland, the exact same opponents they had in their group at France 98. Isidor's commitment after his Premier League breakthrough at Sunderland is the symbolic boost the federation needed, but Migné's wider task is to turn a multi-league diaspora roster into a competitive bloc against three teams ranked above them on FIFA's list. The opener is set for the second matchday of the tournament.