Haiti’s return to the FIFA World Cup has been fueled by a talented generation capable of competing on the sport’s biggest stage. These are the players most responsible for carrying Les Grenadiers into the 2026 tournament.
From veteran leader Duckens Nazon to European-based talent, Haiti’s squad combines experience, athleticism and attacking creativity as it seeks to make history at the World Cup.
Frantzdy Pierrot: Haiti’s Captain and All-Time Scorer
GettyFrantzdy Pierrot #20 of Haiti.
The Haitian story starts, and largely ends, with Frantzdy Pierrot. Born in Cap-Haïtien and raised in Melrose, Massachusetts, after his father brought the family to the United States while his mother remained in Haiti, the 31-year-old striker is the heartbeat of this squad. He has found the net 34 times in 51 appearances for the national team, according to Coastal Carolina University Athletics, a record that makes him Haiti’s most prolific attacker by a wide margin.
Pierrot came up through the American college game, earning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year honors at Coastal Carolina in 2017, before crossing to Europe in 2018. Stints at Belgian club Mouscron, French side Guingamp, Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Haifa and Greek club AEK Athens followed. He has now accumulated 91 career club goals. The 6-foot-4 forward currently plays on loan at Turkish club Çaykur Rizespor from AEK Athens.
His most important goal for Haiti may have been the 2025 qualifier against Costa Rica, a 1-0 winner against a side that had been widely favored to advance, according to Boston.com reporter Hayden Bird. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey later proclaimed an official state day in his honor, as Urban Pitch reported. His Group C opener fell in Boston, the city where he attended school.
“It feels unreal,” he said as quoted by Urban Pitch. “Especially my first game is in Boston. All my family is here, all my friends. I went to school here, so it’s gonna be an emotional game for me.”
Jean-Kevin Duverne: The Foundation Behind Haiti’s Run
GettyJean-Kevin Duverne #22 of Haiti.
Jean-Kévin Duverne, 28, anchors a defense that held together through a qualifying campaign Haiti ran without a single home game. Security conditions inside the country made playing there impossible. Born in Paris to Haitian parents and a product of RC Lens and Stade Brestois before joining FC Nantes, Duverne chose to represent Haiti internationally despite having worn the France under-20 shirt.
“It was an easy choice, honestly,” he said. “Especially for my family, who were very happy to see me represent the country,” as quoted by Flashscore. He has accumulated 21 international appearances for Les Grenadiers, per Flashscore, and currently plays on loan at Belgian club K.A.A. Gent from Nantes.
Bryan Alceus: Earning His 40th Cap for Haiti
GettyBryan Alceus (21) of the Haiti National Football Team.
Bryan Alceus, the 30-year-old central midfielder born Feb. 1, 1996, rounds out the trio. His career has taken him across the lower reaches of European football, including stints at Paris FC, Armenian club Pyunik, Romanian sides FC Argeș Pitești and Gaz Metan Mediaș, and currently Cypriot club Doxa Katokopia. But his commitment to the national team remains solid. In 39 caps with Haiti, according to FotMob, Alceus has established himself as the squad’s engine in central midfield, breaking up opposition play and providing the structural discipline that allows Haiti’s more attack-minded players to operate.
Haiti enters Group C facing Brazil, Morocco and Scotland. None of that schedule is forgiving. But this generation built around Pierrot’s finishing, Duverne’s defensive composure and Alceus’ midfield grit has already done the impossible once by getting here. The question now is how far that can take them.
Who Are the Best Players on Haiti’s 2026 World Cup Squad?