Woodensky Pierre, the sole member of Haiti’s national soccer team residing in the Caribbean nation, has been granted a US visa, clearing his path to travel and compete in the upcoming World Cup, an official confirmed on Tuesday.
Thecieux Jeanty, spokesperson for Haiti’s soccer federation, informed The Associated Press that Pierre was scheduled to depart for Florida on Tuesday.
Jeanty described the moment as one of profound relief and joy for the player, stating: “It was a great moment for him, a moment of happiness.”
There had been fears that Pierre would miss out on the World Cup, with the administration of US President Donald Trump continuing to expand travel restrictions from countries including Haiti.
However, he has now been given permission to travel to the US to play in this summer’s tournament.
Pierre’s teammates had already arrived in Florida last week to commence their World Cup preparations. This marks only the second time Haiti has qualified for the prestigious tournament, with their last appearance on soccer’s biggest stage occurring over half a century ago.
While awaiting his visa, Pierre had been training with local players in an upscale district of Port-au-Prince.
The team’s primary stadium in the Haitian capital was deemed too perilous for use, forcing Haiti to host its “home” World Cup qualifiers in Curaçao.
Pierre is from Cite Soleil, a seaside slum that has endured violence and hunger for years and serves as a base for powerful gang leaders. Cite Soleil has seen multiple massacres and gang rapes, with violence recently displacing more than 5,300 people, according to the latest report from the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration.
Haiti are set to play World Cup warmup matches against New Zealand on Tuesday and Peru on Friday. Their World Cup campaign officially begins on June 13 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, against Scotland.
Subsequent matches include a clash with five-time champions Brazil on June 19 in Philadelphia, followed by a game against Morocco on June 24 in Atlanta.
With 32 places up for grabs in the knockout rounds, Haiti will hope they can progress beyond the group stages this summer.
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