Haiti was compelled to change the design of their jerseys just days before facing Scotland in their first World Cup match. FIFA found the depiction of a battle scene on the jerseys to be non-compliant with their rules.
The jerseys worn by Haitian players in two pre-World Cup friendly matches featured an image from the historic 'Battle of Vertières' in 1803, where Haiti gained independence from French colonial forces. The jersey also included the national flag.
FIFA's equipment regulations prohibit the use of 'political, religious, or personal messages or slogans' on jerseys or any other sports equipment. Consequently, Haiti had to alter their jersey design.
Colombian sportswear manufacturer Sayeta stated that their original design was intended to 'pay tribute to the men and women who contribute daily to building Haiti's future.' The company asserted that it was not created to convey a political message.
Sayeta further explained, 'FIFA believed that some visible elements of the design could be interpreted differently under their equipment regulations. Therefore, the organization requested changes to the design.'
Sayeta added, 'Although FIFA's interpretation did not fully align with our original intent, we respected the process and implemented the necessary changes as per FIFA's final instructions.'
Haiti returns to the World Cup stage after 52 years. Their campaign will commence with a match against Scotland on June 14 at the Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Haiti is grouped with five-time world champions Brazil and African nation Morocco in Group C.
Haiti previously participated in the World Cup only once, in 1974. They lost all three group stage matches and conceded a total of 14 goals.
