Haiti finally scores again at a World Cup after 52 years, giving the team a moral victory

ATLANTA (AP) — Haiti capped its third straight loss at this year's World Cup with a heart-warming moral victory.

The Haitians, playing on soccer's biggest stage for the first time since 1974, twice took the lead against 2022 semifinalist Morocco on Wednesday but still lost 4-2.

It was those two goals that made this latest setback so much easier to take, even to celebrate.

“We’re doing all this noise because my country scored two goals,” said longtime fan Emmanuel Joseph, who kept the crowd cheering throughout the night with his red horn. “Haiti has already come to this World Cup after 52 years. For that, we are happy.”

Haiti opened the tournament with a 1-0 loss to Scotland, then dropped its second game to five-time World Cup champion Brazil 3-0, eliminating the Caribbean team from contention for the round of 32.

Haiti forward Lenny Joseph had a hand, or a foot, in his team taking the lead on Wednesday in the 10th minute after a low cross from Jean-Kevin Duverne. He back-heeled the ball off the back of Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and into the net. Bounou was saddled with an own-goal by FIFA, but it was a spectacular effort by Joseph.

Thirty-three minutes later, and a few minutes after Morocco had scored to make it 1-1, forward Wilson Isador again put Haiti in front.

Three unanswered goals followed for Morocco, which earned a spot in the knockout round with the victory.

The crowd of 68,239 in Atlanta was a near 50-50 split of blue Haiti jerseys and red Morocco shirts, but the Haitian fans kept the noise going throughout the night with cheers echoing throughout the stadium.

“I’m disappointed for the Haitian fans, disappointed,” Haiti coach Sébastien Migné said. “But also we managed to show that we were worthy of this qualification. We were in the right place.”

Some fans weren’t quite sure what to expect after all that time away from the tournament. Francis Desir and his father, who drove up from Orlando, were surprised at the turnout. Throughout the years, Desir explained, many grew impatient and shifted their support to more prominent teams.

“We missed the World Cup for so long. We had Argentina fans, Brazil fans. Now we got our own fans," Desir said. “We don’t know if we’re going to see the time again, so we got to represent Haiti."

If Migné has anything to say about it, Haiti will be back sooner rather than later.

“Now,” Migné said, “we need to make some improvements and not wait another 52 years.”

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Haiti's Lenny Joseph (16) celebrates after Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou scored an own goal during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Morocco and Haiti in Atlanta, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

Haiti's Lenny Joseph (16) celebrates after Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, right, scored an own goal during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Morocco and Haiti in Atlanta, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

NEW YORK (AP) — Dansby Swanson had a go-ahead RBI triple and four RBIs to cap a monster doubleheader performance and help the Chicago Cubs sweep the reeling New York Mets with a 10-5 victory Wednesday night.

Swanson hit a three-run homer and a grand slam in the Cubs’ 10-3 victory in the opener. The 11 RBIs in a doubleheader are a franchise record, breaking the mark of 10 set by Hall of Famer Ron Santo on July 6, 1970.

Swanson also homered on Tuesday night and has three homers and 15 RBIs in the first three games of the series. The shortstop had just 14 RBIs in his previous 48 games entering Tuesday.

Pedro Ramirez had two RBIs in the second game, when Carson Kelly, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Matt Shaw had an RBI apiece.

Shota Imanaga (5-6) surrendered four runs over 5 1/3 innings.

The Mets, who got back Francisco Lindor from the injured list for the nightcap but played both games without Juan Soto (back), ran their losing streak to five games and fell a season-high 12 games under .500. New York was last 12 under on the final day of the 2023 season.

The Mets committed six errors in the nightcap — two apiece by first baseman Mark Vientos and second baseman Marcus Semien and one each by fellow infielders Lindor, Mark Vientos and Bo Bichette.

Lindor finished 0 for 4.

Catcher Francisco Alvarez hit one of the Mets’ four homers Wednesday night but punctuated his last at-bat, a strikeout in the eighth, by breaking his bat over his knee.

Vientos, Bichette and A.J. Ewing also went deep.

Brooks Raley (2-2) allowed two runs in the sixth.

Cubs LHP Matthew Boyd (2-1, 6.00 ERA) was expected to come off the injured list to start Thursday against Mets RHP Freddy Peralta (5-6, 4.83 ERA).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Chicago Cubs' Dansby Swanson runs to first base for a two-run single during the ninth inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Chicago Cubs' Dansby Swanson (7) hits an RBI single during the fourth inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Chicago Cubs' Dansby Swanson (7) hands the game ball to pitcher Jacob Webb as they celebrate with teammates after the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Chicago Cubs' Dansby Swanson hits a two-run single during the ninth inning in the second baseball game of a doubleheader against the New York Mets Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)