December 7 – Philadelphia World Cup organisers have said all fans will be welcome to attend matches in the city with Haiti – a country on US president Donald Trump’s travel ban list – playing Brazil in the World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field. However, they did admit that the federal level is beyond their control.
Haiti, returning to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1974, will play Brazil in the city of brotherly love on June 19. However, as one of the countries on Trump’s travel ban list, the U.S. government does currently do not allow the entry of nationals of Haiti as both immigrants and non-immigrants.
Speaking at a news conference, Meg Kane, host city executive and CEO of Philadelphia Soccer 2026, said: “Our job is to be prepared to welcome every fan that wants to come to Philadelphia to be part of the World Cup, whether they are from Haiti, whether they are from France, whether they are from Curacao or any of the other teams that are coming here.”
She, however, admitted: “Obviously we can only control what we can control, and we cannot necessarily control what is happening at the federal level.”
Haiti was one of the 12 countries that Trump banned citizens from traveling to the USA. It was a measure described as essential to “protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people.”
Kane said: “Philadelphia Soccer 2026 will absolutely be prepared, though, to welcome any and all fans from Haiti, or any and all fans from across the United States with Haitian of Haitian descent who want to come and celebrate their team coming back to the World Cup for the first time in a very long time.”
On the sidelines of the draw, Sebastien Migne, the Haiti coach, said: “It all depends on Mr Trump. Maybe he will continue with that spirit that won him that prize and he will open the possibility for our fans to come here. I know we have a lot of Haitians in the States. So maybe it would be interesting for us. We will find a solution and adapt.”
Trump’s executive order on June 4 read: “Hundreds of thousands of illegal Haitian aliens flooded into the United States during the Biden Administration. This influx harms American communities by creating acute risks of increased overstay rates, establishment of criminal networks, and other national security threats. As is widely known, Haiti lacks a central authority with sufficient availability and dissemination of law enforcement information necessary to ensure its nationals do not undermine the national security of the United States.”
Haiti has faced continuous political turmoil since the 2021 assassination of its elected president, Jovenel Moïse. According to the United Nations, gangs now control roughly 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The national team played their World Cup qualifiers in Nicaragua.
On June 13, Haiti will open their World Cup campaign against Scotland in Boston and on 24 June they wrap up Group C against Morocco in Atalanta.
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