<\/p>\n
Woodensky Pierre, midfielder of the Haitian national team, is greeted by teammates after arriving in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in time to see the team rout New Zealand, 4-0, in a pre-World Cup friendly game. Pierre\u2019s arrival in the United States had been delayed because of issues in securing a U.S. visa.<\/p>\n
Casimir Veillard<\/p>\n
For the Miami Herald<\/p>\n
The only player on Haiti\u2019s national soccer team who was based in the violence-torn country during the qualifying campaign for this year\u2019s FIFA World Cup has finally joined his teammates in Florida after running into difficulties securing a U.S. visa.<\/p>\n
Woodensky Pierre, a midfielder who helped Haiti end its 52-year absence from soccer\u2019s biggest stage, landed at Miami International Airport from Cap-Ha\u00eftien at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday. He was greeted by Marie Monique Andr\u00e9, head of the Haitian Football Federation\u2019s Normalization Committee, and Yverick Delerme Cyril, Haiti\u2019s consul general in Miami.<\/p>\n
As Cyril\u2019s phone buzzed with calls from Haiti\u2019s prime minister, foreign minister and federation officials seeking updates on Pierre\u2019s arrival, the midfielder was rushed to Fort Lauderdale Stadium. He arrived just in time to watch his Les Grenadiers teammates rout New Zealand, 4-0, before a crowd of mostly blue-and-red clad Haitian fans.<\/p>\n
Woodensky Pierre, midfielder of the Haitian national team and the only squad member based in Haiti during the qualification campaign, arrives in Miami on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. He is greeted by Marie Monique Andr\u00e9, current head of the Normalization Committee of the Haitian Football Federation, and Yverick Delerme Cyril, Haiti\u2019s consul general in Miami. This arrival marks the beginning of the national team\u2019s gathering ahead of upcoming international competitions. Casimir Veillard For the Herald <\/p>\n
As the crowd of 16,000 burst into victory chants and dance over the team\u2019s victory, it erupted when it spotted Pierre, 21, walking onto the field after the final whistle.<\/p>\n
Pierre\u2019s visa ordeal had become a reminder of the immigration and political complications Haiti \u2014 and several other countries \u2014 find themselves facing as the World Cup approaches its opening matches in the United States., Canada and Mexico in less than two weeks.<\/p>\n
Haiti is among four countries \u2014 along with Iran, Ivory Coast and Senegal \u2014 in this year\u2019s 48-World Cup whose nationals face U.S. travel restrictions imposed by President Donald Trum<\/a>p after his return to power last year. The measures have complicated travel not only for fans hoping to attend matches in the United States, but also for the players and team officials, despite exemptions for athletes, coaching staff and federation personnel.<\/p>\n Born in Cit\u00e9 Soleil, the seaside slum that\u2019s been the site of a recent surge in deadly gang violence<\/a>, Pierre, received the U.S. visa on his personal passport. But other members of the federation are still waiting to know if they will be allowed to travel given the suspension of immigrant and non-immigrant visas for Haitian nationals. Federation spokesman Thecieux Jeanty said he did not know how many applications were still pending. Sources told the Miami Herald that the federation initially submitted a list of 17 names.<\/p>\n South Africa, Iran also face U.S. visa delays<\/p>\n Meanwhile, South Africa and Iran have also reported visa-related issues that have delayed their travel.<\/p>\n In a post on X<\/a>, South Africa\u2019s minister of sports, arts and culture, Gayton McKenzie, criticized their \u201cvisa debacle\u201d as \u201cembarrassing\u201d and \u201cgrossly unfair\u201d toward the players and coaching staff.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are being made to look like fools,\u201d McKenzie wrote before later announcing in a Sunday evening post<\/a> that \u201cAll Bafana Bafana players had received their visas to travel\u201d to the U.S. and the charter plane would leave on Monday. However, he noted, the assistant coach, team doctor, head of security and an analyst were still awaiting travel approval.<\/p>\n In a statement<\/a> issued on Sunday, the South African Football Association confirmed that the senior men\u2019s national team\u2019s visa challenges had delayed the group\u2019s travel to North America as originally planned. They were \u201cworking around the clock,\u201d the association said, to ensure that the team arrives as soon as possible, ahead of its opening match against the host Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on June 11, 2026.<\/p>\n Iranian officials have said that the U.S. visa delays have placed the squad at a competitive disadvantage. As a result of its complications, the team was forced to relocate its base camp from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico.<\/p>\n The issue came up during Secretary of State Marco Rubio\u2019s testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday. Rubio told lawmakers the U.S. would not allow individuals with ties to Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to \u201cembed\u201d themselves within the country\u2019s World Cup delegation.<\/p>\n .<\/p>\n Even well-heeled Haitians won\u2019t be able to travel<\/p>\n For Haiti, the travel ban extends beyond one player or federation members. The country qualified for the World Cup without having played any home matches \u2014 a first in the tournament\u2019s history \u2014 because of gangs\u2019 near control of the capital and takeover of the national stadium.<\/p>\n Still, Tuesday\u2019s victory in front of thousands of Haitian fans underscored the importance of playing in front of a large and enthusiastic fan base. Yet, Haiti\u2019s full ban means that Haitians without a valid U.S. visas will be unable to attend matches in person, even if they can afford tickets and travel expenses. The same is true for fans of Senegal and Ivory Coast, which are among a list of countries with partial restrictions on entry to the U.S.<\/p>\n Cyril, the consul general, said while he was doing his job as public servant to ensure Pierre made it to the stadium, he also felt fortunate as both a Haitian and a soccer fan.<\/p>\n \u201cI am lucky to be able to enjoy this moment after 52 years,\u201d he said, \u201cand to be able to participate while sharing this momentum.\u201c<\/p>\n Good to have options in the arsenal<\/p>\n After Tuesday\u2019s victory against New Zealand, Haiti Coach S\u00e9bastien Mign\u00e9 said Pierre\u2019s arrival completed his 26-man squad and sets the stage not just for Friday\u2019s friendly against Peru at Inter Miami\u2019s stadium in Miami but its World Cup matches. Haiti opens group play against Scotland in Boston on June 13, faces Brazil in Philadelphia on June 19 and concludes the group stage against Morocco in Atlanta on June 24.<\/p>\n If Haiti hopes to advance to the Round of 16, Mign\u00e9 said, success will require contributions from far more than the starting 11.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to require a much broader squad,\u201d he said. \u201cThere will also be \u2018finishers\u2019\u2014players coming off the bench during the match. We can make up to five substitutions in official games. So, there it is: we are expanding our possibilities, particularly on the offensive front.\u201d<\/p>\n Noting that Haiti is returning to the FIFA World Cup after 52 years, Mign\u00e9 added, \u201ca lot could happen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s good to have several options in our arsenal,\u201d he added. \u201dToday we showed that we can count on the entire squad\u2014even with the score at 1-0.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 5:23 PM.<\/p>\n Woodensky Pierre, midfielder of the Haitian national team, walks through a tunnel after arriving in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in time to see the team rout New Zealand, 4-0, in a pre-World Cup friendly game. Pierre\u2019s U.S. arrival had been delayed because of issues in securing a visa. Casimir Veillard For the Herald <\/p>\n
Woodensky Pierre, midfielder of the Haitian national team, poses for photos with fans after arriving in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in time to see the team rout New Zealand, 4-0, in a pre-World Cup friendly game. Pierre\u2019s U.S. arrival had been delayed because of issues in securing a visa. Casimir Veillard For the Herald <\/p>\n
Woodensky Pierre, midfielder of the Haitian national team, is greeted by teammates after arriving in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in time to see the team rout New Zealand, 4-0, in a pre-World Cup friendly game. Pierre\u2019s arrival in the United States had been delayed because of issues in securing a U.S. visa. Casimir Veillard For the Herald <\/p>\n