PORT-AU-PRINCE — Residents of Haiti's capital have been cleaning streets and preparing communal viewing areas as the country gets ready for its men's national soccer team's return to the World Cup after 52 years.
Haiti is set to face Scotland in its opening Group C match on Saturday in Boston. It will be only the second appearance by the Caribbean nation at the men's World Cup, following its debut in 1974.
In Port-au-Prince, where chronic electricity shortages and gang violence have disrupted daily life for years, residents have been setting up makeshift seating and gathering spots so supporters can watch matches together.
"We will be watching the matches in this area, which is why we are cleaning," football fan Junior Emaus said as residents swept a neighbourhood gathering spot and decorated walls with the Haitian flag.
"We said it would be good to put a screen there to help people enjoy that moment, a very special moment," Emaus added.
Others have filled old tyres with sand to create seats for expected crowds. Taxi driver Ronald was among those buying Haitian flags ahead of the opener.
"You know that on Saturday it will be Haiti's first match at the World Cup," Ronald said. "Haiti have to beat Scotland."
Haiti has not played a senior men's international match at home since 2021, after gang violence intensified following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Armed groups later controlled the Stade Sylvio Cator national stadium, forcing the team to play World Cup qualifiers at neutral venues.
The team qualified for the 2026 tournament by topping its group in the Concacaf qualifiers, defeating Nicaragua in a key match that sparked street celebrations in Port-au-Prince in November 2025.
The return carries significance for a country facing ongoing political instability and insecurity. Fans in the Haitian diaspora, including communities in the United States and Canada, have also been organizing watch parties and celebrations.
Some supporters plan to travel. Noel Risnold, who recently obtained a U.S. visa through a State Department-sponsored exchange program, said he hoped to attend matches.
"I am happy first because I received the visa and because I can take advantage of it to support Haiti at the World Cup," Risnold said.
Haiti faces a challenging Group C that includes Brazil and Morocco. Its other group-stage matches are against Brazil on June 19 in Philadelphia and Morocco on June 24 in Atlanta.
Preparations in Port-au-Prince continue as the tournament gets underway, providing a moment of national focus amid the country's difficulties. Details of further communal viewing arrangements remained unclear as of Friday.
