Haitians switch soccer allegiances from Brazil as 'Grenadiers' end World Cup drought

Since Haiti’s Grenadiers qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1974, fan enthusiasm has surged from Port-au-Prince to the streets, with shirts and bracelets being sold at low prices amid hardship. Haiti will begin Group C with Morocco, Scotland and Brazil, and will face its Brazil idol on June 19 at Philadelphia’s stadium. Teenager Guerier Lima, 16, said he would like to be Duckens Nazon, despite his family’s inability to afford formal training. The rallying cry Grenadye, alaso! is heard as fans vow hope for a historic World Cup breakthrough.

Widespread hunger and violence are spotlighted, but fans say the Grenadiers give Haitians hope as the World Cup nears. Smaller vendors describe how shirts and bracelets are sold at low prices, illustrating the country’s resourcefulness. Supporters chant Grenadye, alaso! meaning 'Troops, attack!' as a rallying cry from Haiti’s revolutionary past, underscoring the deep symbolic resonance of football in times of hardship. Fans hope the Grenadiers will turn their support into a first World Cup win, a historic milestone given decades of absence.