Brazil's World Cup opponent, Haiti suffers from a humanitarian crisis and gang violence; understand

Minustah military in Haiti.
UN/MINUSTAH/Jesús Serrano Redondo
Opponent of the Brazilian team in the World Cup this Friday (18), Haiti is facing a humanitarian crisis resulting from a chronic problem of gang violence and a weakened government.
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The Caribbean island is currently experiencing the worst crisis in the Western Hemisphere, according to said UN Secretary-General António Guterres this week. The violence of criminal gangs, which have dominated Haitian streets for years and terrorized the population, has generated a crisis with thousands of deaths and millions going hungry. Read more below.
Haiti is in group C of the World Cup, the same as Brazil. In this 2nd round, the Brazilian team has one point more than the Haitians. While the Canary Islands drew with Morocco in their debut, the Caribbeans lost to Scotland.
The social and political crises and also football meant that Haiti and Brazil created a deep connection. Read more below.
Haiti in crisis
March 1 - A man with his face covered asks protesters to stop during a protest against Prime Minister Ariel Henry's government and insecurity, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Ralph Tedy Erol/Reuters
Haiti, which is the poorest country in the Americas, has been facing a political and social crisis that intensified in 2021, when then-president Jovenel Moïse was assassinated. Two years later, in January 2023, Parliament's mandates ended, which consolidated the bankruptcy of the Haitian government. Since then, the country has suffered from a total power vacuum and has come to be considered a failed state.
Amidst the political chaos, gangs took power on the streets and in almost the entire capital of Port-au-Prince. Criminals began to control the country's exports and currently own 90% of the country's economy. The island has also been facing a serious economic crisis since 2022.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who became chief executive after Moïse's assassination, was forced to resign in exile in 2024.
Months after Henry's fall in April 2024, the country's political leadership made an agreement to form a transitional council to restore order in the government. However, it is still unknown whether the initiative is having the desired effect and there has been yet another change in the country's leadership. The current prime minister is Alix Didier Flis-Aimé.
Connection Brazil and Haiti
Haiti's team for the 2026 World Cup.
Reproduction/Instagram
It is not new that Haiti is punished with crises, such as violence and natural disasters. However, such problems ended up bringing the country closer to Brazil.
An earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale (which is no longer used today) devastated the country in 2010 and caused hundreds of thousands of deaths and left millions homeless. The Brazilian government and other countries around the world, led by the UN, sent humanitarian resources to help the island recover.
Brazil also helped Haiti in other natural disasters, such as the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in 2021, when it sent military personnel and around 11 tons of supplies.
In addition to natural disasters, the countries also came closer because of football. In 2004, the five-time world champion team went to Haiti to play a friendly against the Haitian team. The match paralyzed a civil war that was taking place in the country, and became known as the "Peace Game".
"I remember everything. Going in a tank to the stadium. Arriving there, we all realized that it wasn't just football, there was a lot involved, and it was beautiful", says Ronaldinho Gaúcho, world champion in 2002.
At the time, a million Haitians escorted the team from the airport to the stadium in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and there was a rush following the team bus on the country's streets.
As a result, Haitians began to support Brazil in the World Cups. In this tournament, however, the Canarinho came second due to the participation of Haiti after 52 years away.
Fans barred from the World Cup
Why are fans from Iran and Haiti banned from entering the USA during the World Cup?
Citizens of Haiti are banned from entering the United States during the World Cup by decision of Donald Trump's government. The measure also affects fans from other countries qualified for the tournament, such as Iran and Senegal.
In June 2025, Trump signed the order determining that citizens of Haiti, in addition to 18 other countries, would be prevented from entering the USA for reasons of national security. The president stated that the measure was aimed at preventing terrorist attacks and other threats.
For five other countries that will also be at the World Cup - Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia - the USA suspended the requirement for a deposit of up to US$15,000 (R$75,000) for entry into the country. The measure, however, only applies to fans who have tickets to the World Cup.
For many immigrants who already live in the USA, the challenge is different. Even with tickets, some fans report fear of attending World Cup games and ending up being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The fear is especially strong among Latin American communities, including thousands of Haitians who live in the country. ICE arrest me. My lawyer advised me not to travel to avoid being intercepted at the airport", said Emile, a Haitian who lives in the United States and preferred not to reveal his last name, in an interview with AFP.
'The World Cup is not for us': the fans who withdrew after being blocked or without visas for the host countries

Source: G1