Haiti's national football team has been forced to change its shirt design just days before their opening match at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after world football's governing body banned the use of a war scene on the kit. The information was confirmed by manufacturer Saeta in a statement posted on Instagram on Wednesday.
FIFA's kit regulations prohibit any 'political, religious or personal messages or slogans' on match shirts. In this case, FIFA objected to an illustration of the 1803 Battle of Vertieres, Haiti's independence battle, featuring the national flag, which was printed on the shirt worn by players during two friendlies in Florida, USA.
'The final design presented by Saeta was intended to honour the men and women who contribute every day to Haiti's future, not as a political statement,' Saeta said in the statement.
Haiti's players wore the shirt during friendlies against Peru on June 5 and New Zealand on June 2. The contested motif depicted the 1803 Battle of Vertieres with the Haitian flag woven into the fabric.
Colombian manufacturer Saeta said it has revised the shirt design to comply with FIFA regulations. 'During review, FIFA determined that certain visual elements could be interpreted differently under their equipment regulations and ultimately requested design modifications,' Saeta added. 'While this interpretation differed from our intent, Saeta respects the process and implemented FIFA's final requests.'
Haiti will begin their first World Cup campaign in 52 years against Scotland in Boston on Saturday, June 13. They will then face South American side Brazil in Philadelphia on June 19, followed by African team Morocco five days later in Atlanta, USA.
