Like many other Haitians, Peguy Joseph is a longtime superfan of Brazil, the world鈥檚 greatest soccer power.
In a few days, though 鈥� for the first time in his life 鈥� he won鈥檛 root for the Brazilians. He has a World Cup ticket to see them play, in a wildly improbable matchup, against the team from his beautiful but beleaguered homeland of .
鈥淚t鈥檚 a double joy,鈥� said Joseph, who lives in Florida and will travel to Philadelphia to attend the game on June 19, for his birthday. 鈥淚鈥檒l be happy if Haiti win 鈥� but if Haiti lose, I won鈥檛 be sad, because it鈥檚 Brazil! It鈥檚 the fanaticism. When you love it, you love it.鈥�
Across the U.S., many dually aligned Haitians are feeling a mix of emotions ahead of the upcoming game. It鈥檚 part of the first round of the 2026 World Cup, the first to be hosted by three nations, including Canada and Mexico. It鈥檚 also the first World Cup held in the U.S. since 1994.
Among those elated to have a ticket for the Haiti-Brazil game is Rafael Saldanha, a Brazilian who lives in New York City.
鈥淚 was happy actually, when I learned that Brazil鈥檚 going to play Haiti, because I know these are two very friendly nations to each other,鈥� he said.
鈥淏oth are nations that have their own internal struggles. But at the same time, these are two countries whose populations manage to be extremely happy … regardless, or in spite, of the challenges posed on them every day.鈥�
For all its problems, Haiti clings to love of soccer
Haiti 鈥� the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation 鈥� qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1974 with inspiring tenacity, beating better-known rivals against the odds. Since where the team鈥檚 home stadium is located, Haiti had to play its 鈥渉ome鈥� qualifiers in Caribbean island of without the support of its local fanbase.
The national team — the 鈥淕renadiers鈥� 鈥� entered the tournament in Group C along with Morocco, Scotland and their longtime soccer idol, five-time world champion The Brazilians currently are ranked sixth in the world; Haiti is 84th.
鈥淚t鈥檚 almost like David and Goliath 鈥� we鈥檙e going up against a giant, a huge soccer giant,鈥� said Rachelle Leger a Haitian-American community leader in Philadelphia.
Haitians are fervent soccer fans and deeply patriotic toward their nation 鈥� the world鈥檚 first Black-led republic and the second independent republic in the Americas after the U.S. But for decades, .
Peguy Joseph, like many of his contemporaries, grew up idolizing Brazilian soccer legends like Romario, Ronaldo Nazario and Neymar that were painted on the bright minibuses known as tap-taps in Port-au-Prince. He wore the iconic yellow jersey whenever Brazil was on TV. And he joined joyous crowds in the capital鈥檚 streets that celebrated Brazilian victories as their own.
Many identify with the shared past of both nations 鈥� including long stretches where slavery was prevalent 鈥攁s well as the representation of Black players going back to Brazilian superstar Pel茅.
鈥淏razil feels like a sister country, very similar with culture. We look in the field, and we see people who look like us, doing great things and wish that we could do that ourselves,鈥� said Joel Jean-Baptiste, who was born in New York and moved to Haiti when he was young.
He returned to the U.S. three decades ago and continues to root for Brazil, often wearing the yellow jersey.
When he learned that Haiti would be playing Brazil in the World Cup, he canceled a family vacation to Europe and bought a ticket to the game.
鈥淔or us, and for all Haitian kids, Brazil was number one,鈥� he said. 鈥淧laying them in the World Cup would be 鈥� IS — the dream, a lifetime dream and has every Haitian national excited to see what鈥檚 going to happen this summer.鈥�
Love affair with Brazil’s team goes back decades
Many Haitians first fell in love with Brazil鈥檚 鈥渏ogo bonito鈥� or beautiful play, at the 1982 World Cup, where captain S贸crates led what many regard as the best team ever not to win soccer鈥檚 showcase tournament.
For other loyal fans, it was the heartbreak of watching Brazil’s elimination against Argentina in 1990. And then the joy when they won titles in 1994 with the duo of Bebeto and Romario, and in 2002, when Ronaldo became the tournament鈥檚 top scorer while leading Brazil to its fifth World Cup.
Haitians’ support for the Brazilians only grew in 2004 when Brazil led a U.N. peacekeeping force in Haiti. It organized a game to promote peace in the Caribbean country, which was still reeling from a violent rebellion that ousted former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
Thousands of Haitians that ferried Brazilian greats, including and , to a stadium in Port-au-Prince.
鈥淚t was impressive how there were people the whole way from the airport to here, everybody chanting, 鈥楤razil! Brazil!鈥欌�� Roberto Carlos told The Associated Press that day. Haiti lost 6-0. But Haitian fans still waved Brazilian flags, celebrating the game.
After a devastating 2010 earthquake, thousands of Haitians moved to Brazil, and more recently many have made it their home after and .
Meanwhile, Haitian communities in the U.S. have been unsettled by efforts from President Donald Trump’s administration to end for tens of thousands of Haitians who relocated to the U.S. in recent years.
Yet as the World Cup kicks off, Haitians in their homeland and in are putting aside concerns, for a moment, and uniting around their soccer team as it faces Brazil 鈥� the most successful powerhouse in the World Cup’s history.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not looking at it like a rival; we鈥檙e looking at it as a moment in time,” said Rachelle Leger.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just savoring it, we鈥檙e really proud of Haiti making it, we鈥檙e really proud to be there to support the team, even though (Haitians) support both teams.鈥�
Against the odds, miracles can happen
Brazil, of course, is an overwhelming favorite to beat Haiti, which is pegged as roughly a 30/1 underdog. But one of soccer鈥檚 charms is that seemingly impossible outcomes can happen, says Kirk Bowman, a professor at Georgia Tech whose courses include Soccer & Global Politics and has authored a book about the sport鈥檚 globalization.
He cited the of sixth-tier English club Macclesfield over the Premier League鈥檚 Crystal Palace earlier this year. And the held in Brazil, when a hastily assembled U.S. team of part-time players 鈥� including factory workers, a mailman and a hearse driver 鈥� defeated a top-line England team 1-0.
As Bowman noted, that goal was scored on a header by Joe Gaetjens, a Haitian working as a dishwasher and low-paid soccer player in New York. He was , who saw England as the biggest threat to their national team.
Gaetjens never received U.S. citizenship and eventually returned to Haiti. He was killed there in 1964, a victim of the regime of former Haitian dictator Francois Duvalier.
Nonetheless, he earned a place in soccer lore.
鈥淗aiti can believe in another Haitian 鈥檓iracle on grass,鈥欌�� Bowman said via email. 鈥淎 Haitian already had one.鈥�
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