FIFA ordered Haiti to redesign its World Cup jerseys just days before the tournament because the original design, celebrating the 1803 Battle of Vertieres, violated rules against political symbols on kits.
The Haiti national football team has been required to redesign its World Cup kits shortly before the tournament due to a ruling by FIFA that the original designs were too political.
The initial jerseys, produced by Colombian manufacturer Saeta, featured imagery of soldiers raising the Haitian flag to commemorate the Battle of Vertieres in 1803, a pivotal moment in Haiti's independence from France. According to football's governing regulations, established by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and enforced by FIFA, kits must not display any political, religious, or personal messages or slogans.
Despite Haiti's insistence that the design was a tribute to national heroes and not intended as a political statement, FIFA requested modifications. Saeta complied, stating that while the interpretation differed from its intention, it respected the process and implemented the requested changes. The Haitian Football Federation confirmed that FIFA officials asked for the removal of the image depicting the Battle of Vertieres and certain independence figures.
The federation noted the historical significance of the date, as Haiti qualified for the 2025 World Cup on November 18, 2025-the anniversary of the battle. The team is scheduled to play Scotland, Brazil, and Morocco in the group stage, with their match against Scotland set for 2 a.m. on Sunday. This marks Haiti's second World Cup appearance, following a difficult debut in 1974 where they lost all matches and conceded 14 goals.
However, they topped a competitive qualifying group ahead of Honduras, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. In pre-tournament friendlies, Haiti drew attention with a 4-0 victory over New Zealand and a narrow 1-0 loss to England, before falling 2-1 to Peru
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