The world’s biggest sporting event is less than a month away from its opening kickoff.
As the top soccer players in the world converge to North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, players from one Caribbean nation will settle for a brief time on the Treasure Coast in the leadup.
The Haiti Men’s National Soccer Team will hold a training camp at the voco Sandpiper All-Inclusive Resort from Sunday, May 24 to June 8 along the St. Lucie River in Port St. Lucie.
“Les Grenadiers” will be hosted by the newly-formed Port St. Lucie Soccer Club of the United Soccer League.
Haiti, who will take part in its first Men’s World Cup since 1974, officially released its final 26-man roster on May 15. Twenty-five of the 26 are diaspora players. Woodensky Pierre, a midfielder for Violette Athletic Club, is the country’s only home-based player.
The other players are from professional clubs spread across 13 different countries, from France, Germany and Belgium to Portugal, England and the United States. Three players compete in Major League Soccer, the top tier of soccer in the U.S. while two others compete in England’s Premier League.
Here are some notable players that’ll be training in Port St. Lucie.
Who competes in the MLS?
This trio may be familiar to those that follow the sport stateside: Danley Jean Jacques, of the Philadelphia Union, Louicius Deedson of FC Dallas and Derrick Etienne Jr. of Toronto FC.
Of the three, Etienne Jr. has the most decorated MLS career, which spans a decade between time with New York Red Bulls, FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew, Atlanta United and his current stint with the Reds. The Richmond, Virginia native has appeared in 229 matches, scoring 22 goals and recording 25 assists. Etienne Jr. won an MLS Cup championship with Colombus in 2020.
The winger has accumulated 49 caps for the Haitian National Team, scoring eight goals since making his debut in 2016.
Jean Jacques has played the last three seasons for the Union, producing five goals and three assists. The midfielder has put in six goals during 28 caps for the Haitian senior team. He made his National Team debut in 2023 while Deedson did so in 2021. The forward has scored 10 goals in 30 international caps.
With Los Toros, Deedson has appeared in seven matches over the past two seasons. He notched his first goal with the team earlier this season.
Who competes in the English Premier League?
Two members of the Haitian National Team put on kits across the pond to play in arguably the toughest league in the world: Wilson Isidor, of Sunderland AFC and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, of the Wolverhampton Wanderers.
All 31 of Isidor’s appearances with the The Black Cats have come this current season, as the forward from France knocked in six goals. He earned his first two caps with the national team in 2026, scoring a goal during Haiti’s friendly against Iceland on March 31.
Meanwhile, Bellegrade has spent the past three seasons with the Wolves, totaling five goals and nine assists in 83 matches from the midfield. He has made eight caps for Haiti over the past two years.
Which players have the most international experience for Haiti?
With 27 years of combined experience, Johny Placide and Duckens Nazon each have 80 caps for the National Team. That is tied for second all-time in the country’s history, trailing only Pierre Richard Bruny (95).
Placide, who plays professionally for SC Bastia of France’s Ligue 2, serves as Haiti’s goalkeeper and captain. The 38-year old is the oldest member of the National Team, making his first appearance in 2011. During the team’s run through CONCACAF qualfication, Placide conceded nine goals in eight matches and recorded eight clean sheets.
After making his National Team debut in 2014, Nazon is the most prolific goalscorer in Haiti history, scoring 44 goals. The 32-year old striker plays professionally for Esteghlal FC in Iran. Nazon tailled six goals in 10 CONCACAF qualifiers last season.
When, where and who will Haiti face in its World Cup opener?
Placed in Group C, Haiti is set to open the World Cup against Scotland on June 13 from Boston Stadium (aka Gillette Stadium) in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Group C will be a challenging group for the Haitians to emerge from, as it also features Morocco and soccer power Brazil.
The team will play two friendly matches in South Florida prior to traveling north; Haiti will face New Zealand on June 2 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale before taking on Peru three days later at NU Stadium in downtown Miami.
Haiti’s 2026 FIFA World Cup roster
Goalkeepers: Jhony Placide (SC Bastia), Alexandre Pierre (FC Sochaux-Montbéliard), Josue Duverger (FC Cosmos Koblenz)
Defenders: Carlens Arcus (Angers SCO), Wilguens Paugain (Zulte Waregem), Duke Lacroix (Colorado Springs Switchbacks), Martin Experience (AS Nancy), Jean-Kévin Duverne (KAA Gent), Ricardo Ade (LDU Quito), Hannes Delcroix (FC Lugano), Keeto Thermoncy (BSC Young Boys)
Midfielders: Carl Fred Sainté (El Paso Locomotive), Leverton Pierre (FC Vizela), Danley Jean Jacques (Philadelphia Union), Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Woodensky Pierre (Violette AC), Dominique Simon (FC Tatran Prešov)
Forwards: Don Deedson Louicius (FC Dallas), Josue Casimir (AJ Auxerre), Derrick Etienne (Toronto FC), Ruben Providence (Almere City FC), Duckens Nazon (Esteghlal FC), Frantzdy Pierrot (Çaykur Rizespor), Wilson Isidor (Sunderland AFC), Yassin Fortuné (FC Vizela), Lenny Joseph (Ferencváros)
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Haiti’s World Cup team trains in Port St. Lucie: Players to know
Reporting by Patrick Bernadeau, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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