Haiti’s World Cup appearance reveals challenges in travel restrictions
Of all the teams playing group-stage matches in Atlanta, Haiti is the closest in distance to the city.
The flight would take approximately 3½ hours, but there is no direct flight to the Caribbean country from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Additionally, fans from the country were barred from entering the United States.
Haiti, along with Iran, are the two World Cup nations that have “full suspension” travel bans, while others like Ivory Coast and Senegal have a partial suspension. For reference, the restriction is sterner than on the Democratic Republic of Congo, a hotbed of the latest Ebola outbreak, where it’s still difficult to acquire a visa but entering is still possible after a 21-day quarantine.
In June 2024, President Donald Trump signed a presidential proclamation that limited travel from several countries, including Haiti. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of State maintains a Level 4 “do not travel” advisory for U.S. travelers because of “crime, terrorism, kidnapping, unrest, and limited health care.”
“It’s very difficult. Unfortunately, it’s nothing new for us, but I think we as a people never let the systemic oppression and systemic challenges stop us from showing up,” former Olympic swimmer Naomy Grand’Pierre said. “I think the Haitians that can show up are there on behalf of all the ones who cannot, and I think again that speaks to our resilience, and that’s just how we show up globally.”
When Haiti meets Morocco on Wednesday at noon at Atlanta Stadium, Les Grenadiers will be playing solely for pride, as Haiti was eliminated with losses to Scotland and Brazil in Group C. Grand’Pierre represented Haiti in the 2016 Rio Olympics, after growing up in Atlanta.
She said there’s a desire to be there for those who can’t but also to show appreciation for the players representing the nation on the global platform.
Travel restrictions have taken center stage at the World Cup, just as global soccer stars have. Woodensky Pierre, Haiti’s only player living in the nation, faced visa challenges initially but was granted access to the U.S. and joined his teammates about 10 days before Haiti’s opening match.
When Cape Verde played Spain to a historic draw against Spain, Blue Sharks goalkeeper Vozinha became a more-followed athlete on Instagram than Shohei Ohtani because of his heroic seven-save performance. But he also revealed his mother could not attend the country’s first-ever World Cup match because of a visa issue.
Haiti qualified for the tournament for the first time in 52 years, doing so despite the tournament’s three hosts — Canada, Mexico and the United States — automatically qualifying to take up three of CONCACAF’s six World Cup spots. Haiti also did it without playing a single qualifying match in Haiti because of unrest. The national team hasn’t played a home game since 2021.
“We’re here, we’re excited, but not everyone is superexcited for us to be here,” said Patrick Eugène, a Haitian-American artist in Atlanta. “As the light continues to shine on Haiti, the truth is being exposed.”
Violence has caused strife in parts of the country, but many of the Haitian diaspora in Atlanta — which is one of the largest in the U.S. — hope that the World Cup allows people to look deeper than its war-torn perception.
“Every time we go to the Olympic Games, every time we go to World Cup, let me show you who we are,” Grand’Pierre said. “Let me reintroduce myself and my country and my culture to you, and I think it’s been really beautiful.”