The sole member of Haiti's national soccer team who resides in the troubled Caribbean nation is waiting for a U.S. visa to join his squad in Florida, just weeks before the World Cup begins.
Woodensky Pierre's Predicament
Woodensky Pierre, a defensive midfielder, plays for Violette AC in Port-au-Prince, where an estimated 70% of the city is under siege by violent gangs. The other 25 players on Haiti's World Cup roster are based abroad, competing in leagues in England, France, Portugal, Canada, and the United States.
This year's World Cup marks only Haiti's second appearance in the tournament, with the first being in 1974. Thecieux Jeanty, a spokesman for the Haitian soccer federation, noted that all but one player on the 1974 team lived and played in Haiti at that time.
Visa Delays and Training
The U.S. visas for Pierre and nearly a dozen federation officials have not been processed, as the Trump administration expands travel restrictions from countries including Haiti. Pierre continues to train on a synthetic grass field in Pétion-Ville, an upscale area of Port-au-Prince, hoping to join his team soon.
“I hope he doesn’t have to live in Haiti after the World Cup,” Jeanty told the Associated Press. “It’s an opportunity to present himself to the world and await a contract.”
Dangerous Conditions
The team's home stadium in Port-au-Prince, near Pierre's neighborhood, was deemed too dangerous, forcing Haiti to play World Cup qualifiers in Curaçao. Pierre hails from Cite Soleil, a seaside slum that has endured years of violence and hunger, serving as a base for powerful gangs. Recent violence displaced over 5,300 people, according to the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration.
“It’s a source of pride for him,” Jeanty said of Pierre's World Cup participation. “It’s satisfying for officials and for the public, too. As you know, Haiti is in crisis.”
Warmup Matches and World Cup Schedule
Haiti's squad officials arrived in Florida on Sunday, and players began training in Port St. Lucie on Tuesday. Three more players are due Wednesday. Haiti will play warmup matches against New Zealand on Tuesday and Peru on June 5 in South Florida. The World Cup opener is June 13 against Scotland in Foxborough, Massachusetts, followed by Brazil on June 19 in Philadelphia and Morocco on June 24 in Atlanta.
Jeanty first met Pierre in 2022 during a trip to Honduras for an under-20 match. “I saw him as a top-level player,” Jeanty said, adding that “everybody’s very happy” to have Pierre on the team. “There is soccer in Haiti. It’s a country that wants to live.”
