FIFA World Cup 2026: After 52 years, Haiti finally find the net again on football's biggest stage

Haiti may have exited the FIFA World Cup without a win, but the Caribbean nation still found plenty to celebrate after scoring its first World Cup goals in 52 years.Haiti's World Cup campaign came to an end with a 4-2 defeat against Morocco on Wednesday.

This was their third straight loss of the tournament.

A long-awaited momentMaking their first World Cup appearance since 1974, Haiti had already been eliminated after losses to Scotland and Brazil.

But against Morocco, they produced one of their best performances of the tournament and twice took the lead against the 2022 World Cup semifinalists.The breakthrough came in the 10th minute when Lenny Joseph helped force the ball into the net following a low cross from Jean-Kevin Duverne.

FIFA later recorded it as an own goal by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, but Haiti's attacking move sparked wild celebrations among the fans.Haiti stun Morocco twiceMorocco equalised before halftime, but Haiti responded almost immediately.

Wilson Isidor restored the lead with a fine finish, giving supporters hope of a famous upset.Morocco's quality eventually showed as they scored three unanswered goals to secure a 4-2 victory and progress to the knockout stage.Fans celebrate despite defeatThe match attracted a crowd of more than 68,000 in Atlanta, with Haitian supporters creating a vibrant atmosphere throughout the evening.Long-time fan Emmanuel Joseph said the goals themselves felt like a victory for the nation."We're doing all this noise because my country scored two goals," he said. "Haiti has already come to this World Cup after 52 years.

For that, we are happy."Many supporters felt simply returning to the World Cup after such a long absence was an achievement worth celebrating.Coach proud of team's effortHaiti coach Sébastien Migné admitted he was disappointed by the result but proud of how his players competed against stronger opposition."I'm disappointed for the Haitian fans, disappointed," Migné said. "But also we managed to show that we were worthy of this qualification.

We were in the right place."Fans such as Francis Desir, who travelled from Orlando with his father to support the team, said Haiti's return to the World Cup had reunited supporters who had spent years following other nations."We missed the World Cup for so long.

We had Argentina fans, Brazil fans.

Now we got our own fans," Desir said.Looking to the futureWhile Haiti's World Cup journey is over, the team hopes this appearance will be the start of a new chapter rather than a one-off return."Now," Migné said, "we need to make some improvements and not wait another 52 years."For a nation that had waited more than half a century to return to the biggest stage, the goals against Morocco offered a memorable moment and hope for a brighter future.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates.

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