Haiti forced to change World Cup kit after FIFA ruling

FIFA orders Haiti to strip historic imagery from World Cup kit

FIFA has forced Haiti to remove an image depicting the Battle of Vertières and independence heroes raising the Haitian flag from both home and away kits. The federation called it a misinterpretation by FIFA officials who deemed the design political (1) (2) (3).

"Vertières was the site of the final battle that led to our independence, fought on November 18, 1803. Ironically, the national team qualified for the 2026 World Cup on November 18, 2025," said a team representative. Haiti's FA made no further statement, simply asking manufacturer Saeta to alter the uniforms (3) (5).

The kits must now be changed before Haiti's first World Cup match since 1974.

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Haiti arrive as an unknown quantity, with no detailed reporting on form, tactics, or squad specifics ahead of the match.

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Haiti lost their final pre-tournament friendly 1–2 to Peru last weekend (4). The result does little to settle nerves before the World Cup, with no goalscorers or lineup details reported from the Haitian side.

Fan reactions

Fans online are frustrated, calling FIFA's intervention a disrespectful misreading of Haitian history. Many point to the symbolic weight of the November 18 date shared by both the Battle of Vertières and World Cup qualification as something FIFA never bothered to understand. Kit manufacturer Saeta has drawn some heat for complying without public pushback. Read more on r/worldcup