With less than a day until the start of the 2026 World Cup, the Haitian national team has become embroiled in an unexpected controversy off the field. In recent hours, it was revealed that FIFA rejected the approval of the home jersey that the Caribbean team was set to use in the tournament and requested modifications as it considered that some of its visual elements could be interpreted as a political message.
The situation was confirmed by Saeta, the Colombian company responsible for designing the apparel. In a statement, the brand explained that the project went through the usual review process, although it ultimately received feedback from the governing body of world football. “They determined that certain visual elements could be interpreted differently under their team regulations and ultimately requested modifications to the design,” the company stated.
While FIFA did not specify which aspect of the uniform raised objections, various reports indicate that the observation is related to a illustration inspired by the Battle of Vertières, the confrontation in November 1803 in which Haitian forces defeated Napoleon Bonaparte's French army and took a decisive step toward the country's independence.
