Haitian National Team Forced to Alter Jerseys Just Days Before World Cup Opener
Two days before opening their 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage campaign, the national team from Haiti has been forced to alter their kits after a directive from soccer’s global governing body.
Originally, all three of Haiti’s jerseys featured an image of freedom fighters in the Battle of Vertières in 1803, the last major battle of the Haitian Revolution. But reports surfaced on Thursday, June 11, that FIFA was forcing the Fédération Haïtienne de Football (FHF) and manufacturer Saeta to get rid of the illustration due to its prohibition of “political, religious, or personal messages” on player jerseys.
A spokesperson for the FHF told The Athletic: “Following a misinterpretation, FIFA officials asked the federation to remove an image depicting Vertières and some independence heroes raising the Haitian flag. Vertières is the site of the last battle leading to our independence, fought on November 18, 1803. Ironically, the team qualified for the 2025 World Cup on November 18, 2025. The federation has not issued any (further) statement on the matter; they simply asked Saeta to change it.”
Haiti had worn the blue home kit with the illustration in a friendly against Peru on June 5 and the white away kit against New Zealand on June 2. But in official photos taken for the World Cup website, the soldiers have been removed.
Saeta, which is based in Colombia, issued a statement to their social media channels that read in part:
The final design presented by Saeta was intended as a tribute to the men and women who contribute every day to Haiti’s future and was not intended as a political statement.
During the review process, FIFA determined that certain visual elements could be interpreted differently under its equipment regulations and ultimately requested modifications to the design.
While this interpretation differed from our intention, Saeta respected the process and implemented the final requirements communicated by FIFA.
We remain proud to have contributed, alongside the Haitian Football Federation, to this historic moment for Haitian football and wish the team every success at the FIFA World Cup.
Saeta’s online shop still shows jerseys with the illustration for sale.
Haiti’s first match in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is against Scotland on Saturday, June 13, in Boston. Group C also includes Brazil and Morocco. Haiti was ranked 83rd in the world heading into the tournament. This is second time Haiti has qualified for the World Cup, with their only other appearance coming in 1974.