Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Odsonne Edouard scored 87 goals in 162 appearances for Celtic across all competitions
ByEmma SmithBBC Sport journalist- Published23 minutes ago
As opening World Cup games go, Scotland will have been quite content to be facing a relative minnow in Haiti.
But thanks to some savvy scouts and persuasive agents, the war-torn Caribbean island are putting together a team which hopes to shock Steve Clarke's side when Group C begins on 14 June.
Players called up include Premier League stars with Haitian ancestry, including Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor – plus potentially former Celtic hero Odsonne Edouard.
Edouard scored 57 goals in 94 league matches for Celtic between 2018 and 2021, helping them to successive domestic trebles.
Now playing for Lens in Ligue 1, the 28-year-old represented France at youth level but has never played for them at senior international level. His parents are of Haitian heritage, hence they are hoping to recruit him for the World Cup.
Nothing is guaranteed, though, as convincing players to represent countries they were not born in – and have maybe never visited – can be tricky.
"Edouard is a possibility, but the player is also French - he might be called up for France," Fifa agent Jerome Salbert, who works closely with the Haiti FA in talent ID and recruitment, told BBC Sport.
"His father is Haitian but he was raised in France. It is difficult for him to decide if he accepts, as he would prefer to play for France."
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Figure caption,Haiti: The World Cup team who can't play at home
'Haitian players have talent and resilience'
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Fans celebrated on the streets of Port-au-Prince after Haiti qualified for the 2026 World Cup
For Haiti, issues off the field are also a problem.
Since the country was devastated by an earthquake in 2010, armed gangs have been in an ongoing battle with government forces and have seized much of the capital city, Port-au-Prince.
It has left more than a million people homeless and caused widespread food shortages.
From a football perspective, Haiti qualified for the World Cup despite being unable to play any of their qualifiers at home.
Their manager, Frenchman Sebastian Migne, has never been to Haiti as it too dangerous for foreigners to travel there.
But Salbert and the Haiti FA have still managed to convince some big names to represent the country, with the World Cup a major lure.
"The problems in Haiti don't really have anything to do with it - players refusing to represent countries happens a lot when they are based overseas," he said. "It is tough at first glance.
"Take the case of Wilson Isidor - he has Haitian roots. We must convince them to play with the heart. That helps with players; the football gives them hope amid the trauma their country faces and helps the team move forwards."
Salbert's agency is based in Paris, but he was born on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, an overseas region of France.
This connection to the region, plus the challenge of working with a beleaguered country like Haiti, drew him in.
"I think football belongs to everyone, and their players have a lot of talent, also a lot of resilience," he said.
"They have a lot of skills, which I like. There are a lot of Haitian communities in Guadaloupe so I know a lot about the personalities."
'They know they won't have second chance'
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Former Congo, Kenya and Equatorial Guinea manager Sebastian Migne will lead Haiti against Scotland in Foxborough
Salbert began working with the Haitian FA in 2024 and recommended Migne, who has World Cup experience as Cameroon assistant coach at Qatar 2022.
He has since been tasked to recruit players from around the world who would be eligible to hold a Haitian passport – something made much more difficult by him being unable to travel to the country itself.
"I cannot travel in Haiti, so I use a scout who is in the Caribbean," Salbert says. "And also WyScout - a local scout spots a player in Haiti, I check the system then contact the player to sign with my agency and then suggest them to the coach.
"The inability to go there was the first question the coach asked, as he can't go there to scout. A lot of his job was online, but he is in touch with the people there.
"They hope to be back in Haiti after World Cup for a short event, I don't know if it is secure, but it may be possible for them to go home."
Despite a patchwork squad and playing their home games on nearby Curacao, Haiti have reached the men's World Cup finals for the first time since 1974.
On what it meant for Haiti to qualify, Salbert said: "There was a feeling of pride. It showed us how good football is in Haiti and shows that big sense of resilience.
"The players look at themselves and look at the World Cup as a chance to advance their careers. They know they will not have a second chance.
"No one expects anything from Haiti at the World Cup but I think Scotland, we can give them a surprise."
