Overview:
Haiti’s males’s nationwide soccer group has been positioned in Group D of the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, alongside the US, Trinidad & Tobago and Saudi Arabia. The competitors, going down within the U.S., will kick off in mid-June.
MIAMI—Haiti’s males’s nationwide soccer group discovered its path to the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup group stage after the official draw on Thursday, April 10, in Miami. Les Grenadiers will compete in Group D, dealing with regional powerhouse the US, acquainted CONCACAF rivals Trinidad & Tobago, and Asian visitor group Saudi Arabia.
The Gold Cup, CONCACAF’s premier worldwide event, will happen between June 14 and July 6, with matches hosted in a number of U.S. cities. The inclusion of Saudi Arabia as an invited visitor from the Asian Soccer Confederation (AFC) follows a pattern seen in current editions, together with Qatar’s consecutive participation in 2021 and 2023.
The 2025 version marks the 18th CONCACAF Gold Cup and Haiti’s tenth participation. The event will characteristic 16 groups, together with 15 nations from North America, Central America and the Caribbean, plus the visitor participant from the AFC. The competitors’s opening match is scheduled for June 14, 2025, between Mexico and the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, at 10:15 p.m. EST.
Already secured League A promotion and subsequent summer time’s Gold Cup qualification, the Haitian nationwide soccer group dominated Puerto Rico to complete the 2024 marketing campaign in fashion
To qualify for this yr’s Gold Cup, Haiti dominated its group within the CONCACAF Nations League (CNL) marketing campaign that concluded on Nov. 18, 2024. It defeated all its opponents, scoring 29 objectives and conceding simply 5. This spectacular run additionally helped Les Grenadiers safe promotion to League A, inserting them among the many area’s high nations.
Haiti’s placement in Group D presents a difficult but acquainted state of affairs for the group, which can as soon as once more take a look at itself towards powerhouses: the U.S., ranked sixteenth within the newest FIFA Males’s World Rating, and a rising worldwide squad from Saudi Arabia, ranked 58th. Trinidad & Tobago has just lately struggled to seek out its once-exciting soccer and is positioned a centesimal amongst 210 affiliated FIFA member nations.
- United States (USMNT): One of many event favorites and present CONCACAF Nations League champions, the U.S. might be aiming for a record-extending eighth Gold Cup title. They most just lately confronted Haiti within the 2021 version, successful 1-0 in a slender contest.
- Trinidad & Tobago: One other CONCACAF rival with historical past towards Haiti, the Soca Warriors are rebuilding with a brand new era of gamers and might be in search of redemption after failing to advance from the group stage within the final Gold Cup, like Haiti.
- Saudi Arabia: As a visitor from the Asian confederation, Saudi Arabia provides worldwide expertise to the group. The group just lately certified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and has gained international recognition via home investments in soccer, together with within the Saudi Professional League. The Saudi Arabia’s enjoying fashion is much like Qatar, which Haiti confronted within the 2021 version and defeated 2-1.
Haiti’s ambitions
The Haitian squad enters the event undefeated since March 2024, led by Frenchman Sébastien Migné. The gamers intention to regain the power and kind they exhibited throughout their spectacular 2019 run. In that version, Haiti reached the semifinals, defeated Canada, and narrowly misplaced to Mexico in additional time attributable to a controversial penalty kick.
“This can be a difficult group, however we’ve proven earlier than that Haiti can rise to the event.”
Haitian Soccer Federation official
Haiti exited within the group stage on the 2023 Gold Cup — simply because it did in 2000, 2007, 2013 and 2021 — after a win towards Qatar however losses to Mexico and Honduras. With a deeper squad, bolstered by twin nationals and younger expertise enjoying in Europe and the U.S., the Grenadiers are decided to make a stronger displaying this time.
“We all know our group received’t be straightforward, however our gamers are centered,” mentioned a Haitian Soccer Federation (FHF) official in a remark following the draw. “This can be a difficult group, however we’ve proven earlier than that Haiti can rise to the event.”
Head coach Sébastien Migné, appointed in early 2024, is anticipated to proceed getting ready his group, enjoying friendlies and 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers through the membership’s motion pauses. That can assist fine-tune the squad and discover his very best 23-man roster within the coming months. Among the many names anticipated to guide Haiti’s record are star strikers Frantzdy Pierrot and Duckens Nazon, who’re shining in Europe, and winger Fabrice “Fafà” Picault, who’s plying his commerce with Inter Miami CF in Main League Soccer.
In the meantime, CONCACAF has already confirmed the schedule of all matches for the group stage, with Group D enjoying in San Diego and San Jose ( California), Las Vegas (Nevada), Austin, Houston and Arlington (Texas).
Haiti will meet Saudi Arabia on Sunday, June 15, at 8:15 p.m.EST at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, CA, for its opening encounter. On Thursday, June 19, Les Grenadiers will measure up with Trinidad & Tobago at 6:45 p.m. EST at Shell Power Stadium in Houston, TX. Then, they may shut out their group stage matches towards the U.S. at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, on Sunday, June 22 at 7:00 p.m. EST.
What’s at stake
The highest two groups from every of the 4 teams will advance to the quarterfinals, with the ultimate scheduled for July 6, 2025, at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX, at 7:00 p.m. EST. A robust efficiency may additionally enhance Haiti’s FIFA rating and improve visibility forward of the ultimate stretch of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, the place the Grenadiers intention to qualify for the event for the primary time since 1974.
Past its sporting significance, the Gold Cup presents Haitians—each at house and throughout the diaspora—a possibility to showcase nationwide satisfaction and unity. It presents a stage for Haiti to exhibit its soccer expertise, resilience and cultural spirit. Hundreds of followers are getting ready to observe the group throughout U.S. cities and show the Haitian blue and pink flag and varied messages regarding their communities.
The event’s 31 matches might be broadcast on Fox Sports activities (English, USA), TUDN (Spanish, USA), Televisa and TV Azteca (Mexico), OneSoccer (Canada) and ESPN (Caribbean, Central and South America). For different territories, they are going to be out there on CONCACAF’s YouTube channel.