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Haiti is preparing for its return to the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a 52-year absence, but concerns over injuries and off-field issues affecting several key players are creating uncertainty for coach Sébastien Migné just 100 days before the tournament.
Midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers, recently returned to training after a hamstring injury suffered in February. Striker Frantzdy Pierrot, now with Çaykur Rizespor after leaving AEK Athens, is still recovering from a meniscus injury, raising doubts about his fitness for Haiti’s opening match. Meanwhile, defender Hannes Delcroix of FC Lugano has been sidelined in recent weeks due to adductor problems.
Another major concern involves striker Duckens Nazon, one of Haiti’s top scorers in the Concacaf qualifiers with six goals. Nazon recently fled Iran, where he plays for Esteghlal F.C., after military attacks in Tehran. With assistance from the French embassy, he traveled by car across northern Iran to the border with Azerbaijan before flying to Paris. Nazon documented the journey on social media while describing the challenges of escaping the conflict.
Despite the uncertainties, Haiti will begin its World Cup campaign on June 13 against Scotland in Foxborough. The team will then face Brazil on June 19 in Philadelphia before closing its 2026 FIFA World Cup Group C matches against Morocco in Atlanta.
