Haiti's Sole Domestic Soccer Player Awaits US Visa Ahead of World Cup

Woodensky Pierre, the lone member of Haiti's national soccer team residing domestically, is currently waiting for a US visa to join his teammates who are preparing for the World Cup in Florida. While Pierre remains in Port-au-Prince, the remainder of the 25-player squad is based internationally in countries including England, France, Portugal, Canada, and the United States.

This upcoming tournament marks only the second World Cup participation for Haiti, the first since 1974. Back then, nearly the entire team was comprised of players based within the country. Unfortunately, increasing travel restrictions under the US administration have delayed visas for Pierre and several Haitian soccer federation officials.

Pierre's current training takes place in Pétion-Ville on a synthetic grass field. While awaiting the possibility of joining his team, Haitian soccer federation spokesperson Thecieux Jeanty expressed hope that this global exposure might eventually lead to a contract for Pierre outside Haiti. The capital's volatile situation has led to the relocation of their World Cup qualifying matches to Curaçao for safety reasons.

Hurricane-gripped Port-au-Prince, where Pierre trains, and particularly his home neighborhood of Cite Soleil, remains besieged by gang violence and humanitarian crises. As Jeanty highlights, Pierre's participation in the World Cup brings a source of pride to Haiti during these troubled times.

(With inputs from agencies.)