Why Haiti hosting the US in Miami feels like a homecoming

A day before Haiti hosts the U.S. men’s national team in a Concacaf Nations League match in Miami, Haitian fans are already celebrating Les Grenadiers hosting its “home” game on their opponent’s soil. The match at Miami’s Nu Stadium, a venue with tickets costing upwards of $158, is already nearly sold out as the Haitian community gets ready to cheer on the team.

On Friday evening, hundreds plan to gather at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex for a kickoff soirée featuring konpa group T-Vice and a rara band. Saturday morning, Haitian soccer legends promise to take the field at Oak Grove Park in North Miami, as a way to connect generations of Haitian soccer fans, celebrate the athletes and build excitement.

“Together, the events aim to create a home-like environment for Les Grenadiers, where music, food, national colors and soccer bring Haiti’s presence into a stadium outside its borders,” said Ernst “Zenno” Jean-Baptiste, a former national team player and coach, during a livestream promoting the events.

“We want them to feel that they are not arriving in an unfamiliar place,” he said, referring to the players.

For local residents, community leaders and scholars, Saturday’s matchup brings together two Haitian migration stories.

One is that of Haitians who have built communities across the U.S. while waiting for conditions in Haiti to improve. The other involves members of the Haitian diaspora, who represent their ancestral homeland and a “reverse-flow migration” as one scholar describes it.

The phenomenon has led to Haiti playing home games outside the country because incessant gang-fueled violence has locked them out.

“It’s good news that Haiti is allowed to host its game in the Haitian-heavy Miami area,” said Judite Blanc, a psychologist and associate professor at the University of Miami who is Haitian American.

“But still, hosting your match in the opposing team’s territory creates an upside-down scenario.”

Jean Berthol Bazile, a North Miami entrepreneur with Jean-Baptiste on the livestream, saw the unusual “home” game designation as a fitting arrangement for Haiti.

“This is the capital of the Haitian diaspora,” said Bazile, who is reselling match tickets.

He added, “This is (poetic) justice for us, after being snubbed by FIFA not scheduling any of Haiti’s World Cup matches in Miami.”

Haiti has not played a senior men’s national team match on its own soil since June 2021, when it hosted Canada in a World Cup qualifying match at Stade Sylvio Cator. The following month, Haiti’s president was assassinated, leaving a governance vacuum that criminal organizations have exploited.

As gang violence escalated across Port-au-Prince, the stadium, located in the heart of the capital, became too dangerous to access. In March 2024, armed groups took control of the facility as a base of operations.

This week, on Nov. 11, newly deployed Salvadoran troops drove armed gangs from the stadium. The troops are now using the stadium as a military base.

Over the past five years, Haiti has played “home” games in Curaçao and Jamaica, whose facilities comply with FIFA and Concacaf’s stadium guidelines for international matches. This fall, weeks after a post-game melee in the Dominican Republic, Concacaf allowed Haiti to play home matches in its opponents’ territory.

The temporary movements reflect a feeling many Haitian immigrants waiting to go back home find familiar.

Edline Mompremier, another Miami resident, sums up the team’s predicament.

“Haiti may be nomadic, but it is not homeless,” said Mompremier, who plans to attend the match with her 9-year-old daughter.

In that sense, the team’s experience mirrors that of Haitians in South Florida, home to one of the largest Haitian communities outside of Haiti.

According to a September 2026 report by the Migration Policy Institute ( MPI ), nearly 859,000 Haitian immigrants lived in the U.S. in 2024. Florida accounted for 48% of that population, while the Miami metropolitan area accounted for approximately 31% of Haitian immigrants nationwide.

From Homestead to Miami, Fort Lauderdale to Palm Beach, Haitians living in cities across the state are brimming with excitement. Grenadiers fever is also drawing Haitians far beyond South Florida, including many families who could not afford tickets to World Cup matches or to travel abroad.

For them, seeing the national team in person creates a connection that television broadcasts, streaming and long-distance travel cannot replicate. Although Haiti played a World Cup friendly in Miami earlier this year against Peru, this game holds more significance because Haiti is the host in a competitive match.

The timing also coincides with the Battle of Vertières, the Haitian Revolution combat associated with the team’s namesake, on Nov. 18. The Haitian Football Federation and some event organizers have pushed the connection over social media in promoting the month’s games.

“Everyone will wear their Haitian team jersey, bring flags, tchatchas and more to make noise,” said Onèl Marius, who is traveling from Orlando with family to attend the game.

“We want the players to feel a homecoming atmosphere the minute they enter the stadium.”

In the 1990s, the Haitian government launched a campaign called “Retounen Lakay” — Haitian Creole for “Return Home”— to encourage Haitians who had fled Duvalier’s dictatorship to return to Haiti. Decades later, a similar campaign launched by Haiti’s soccer Federation, “Return to the Stadium,” has borne fruit for Haitian soccer.

Les Grenadiers, so named after Haitian Revolution soldiers, is made up entirely of diaspora players. Led by Spanish coach David Badia, all 25 players on this year’s team were either born abroad or currently play for clubs mainly in Europe and North America.

Jeffrey Kassing, a professor at Arizona State University’s School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, studies the relationship among soccer, migration and diaspora identity. He has seen this “reverse-flow migration” of players from wealthier countries representing their parents’ countries of origin in various sports and locations. In a 2025 research article on the topic he co-authored, Kassing explains in detail how countries can draw on talent developed outside their borders to strengthen their national teams.

“In that sense, despite disadvantages to local-based players and some other sociocultural effects,” Kassing said, “reverse-flow migration is a benefit to Haiti like it is to several countries — including Curaçao, Cape Verde, Morocco and Mexico, among others.”

Blanc sees the phenomenon working in Haiti’s diaspora-led team bringing it back to the FIFA World Cup after a 52-year absence. She said the reactions and solidarity that Haitians showed around the World Cup run prove that football has extraordinary power to unite and transform Haiti.

“Football is a powerful means for the country to bring unity and positive transformation,” she said. “These players being raised in other systems can push the leaders to develop the sports infrastructure, youth development programs and other socio-economic projects.”

Even with the benefits, Blanc said, Saturday’s contrast is difficult to ignore. The Haitian players will still know they are not at home because Miami is not Port-au-Prince, she said. And numerically, she said, the U.S. team may still hold the advantage.

“It’s good news that Haiti is allowed to host its game in the Haitian-heavy Miami area,” Blanc said. “But still, hosting your match in the opposing team’s territory creates an upside-down scenario.”

As the opening whistle blows at 4:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, each team will try to take an upper hand in the tie before the return leg on Nov. 17 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Knocking out the USMNT to reach the tournament’s semifinals will mean an automatic berth in the 2027 Gold Cup. In the two nations’ last 10 meetings, LesGrenadiers recorded five defeats and five draws.

Still, fans like Rickenson Cher-Frère, the owner of a multi-service store in Fort Lauderdale that resells match tickets, believe Haiti can prevail. In yet another Facebook Live video from the Little Haiti Cultural Complex promoting pre-match events, Cher-Frère boasted about the impact of being in Miami.

“Haitians will not be subdued like smaller crowds,” he said. “Our soul is here. We should beat the U.S.”

This report is a collaboration between The Haitian Times and The Associated Press.

FILE - Haiti forward Ruben Providence, front, celebrates with forward Josué Casimir after scoring his side's first goal during an international friendly soccer match against New Zealand, June 2, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

FILE - Haiti's Jean Alexandre, right, fights for the ball with Jamaica's Je-Vaughn Watson during a 2018 World Cup qualifying soccer match, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Nov. 17, 2015. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery, File)

FILE - Haiti forward Lenny Joseph (16) jumps for a ball over Peru midfielders Adrian Quiroz (14) and Jesus Pretell (6) during the second half of an international friendly soccer match, June 5, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

FILE - Haiti's soccer player Belfort Kelvers, center, Curacao goalkeeper Rugenio Josephia, left, and Rianchelo Cuntje, right, battle for the ball during a 2014 World Cup qualifying match in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Oct. 11, 2011. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery, File)

FILE - Odeline Paul dances with a Haitian flag at a Haitian Heritage Month event featuring the Haiti national soccer team on May 30, 2026, in North Miami, Fla., ahead of the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — From the moment Manchester United executives were made aware of Mauricio Pochettino’s availability, he stood alone — the only candidate as the troubled club set about hiring a new coach.

With results tanking and the 20-time English champion languishing in the Premier League relegation zone, something had to be done.

Who could revive the fortunes of the once dominant force after more than a decade of decline?

In the end it came down to a choice of one. Unfortunately for the U.S. men's national team, it was Pochettino.

On Friday, the Argentine was confirmed as United’s eighth manager or head coach since club great Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. He has signed a two and a half-year contract.

United's hierarchy had initially assumed Pochettino, like Aston Villa's Unai Emery, was out of reach.

Emery also has big admirers at United after transforming Villa from a relegation-threatened team to a serial Champions League challenger, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to protect relationships. But the Spaniard, under contract and without a release clause, was simply not an option.

The same was thought of Pochettino after he signed a four-year deal in August tying him to the U.S. team through the 2030 World Cup.

United knew him well. He had been a leading candidate for the job in 2022 when Erik ten Hag was ultimately hired. And he left a lasting impression as recently as the summer of 2024 when, under a new sporting leadership, United considered firing Ten Hag and spoke to a range of contenders, Pochettino included.

It was determined then — on both sides — that the timing wasn't right so soon after his brief spell in charge of Chelsea, the person said.

Now, with Pochettino re-energized by his experiences with the U.S., including a run to the round of 16 at this year’s World Cup, the timing is right.

“We recovered our capacity to dream big, the capacity to train players that really want to improve and really want to share good moments and players that really care about the federation and this country," Pochettino said in an emotional news conference at the U.S. team camp outside Atlanta.

United set about securing the former Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea coach once it was made aware of a break clause in his recently signed contract, with due diligence carried out before incumbent Michael Carrick was fired on Thursday.

Confident that Pochettino wanted to take on what has increasingly looked like an impossible job, it was a matter of informing the U.S. soccer federation of its intention to move for a coach, who did so much galvanize the nation during the World Cup. That formal approach came on Wednesday, the night before Carrick was relieved of his duties, the person said.

By that stage rumors had already been swirling around Pochettino and the odds on him to become United's eighth permanent coach or manager in 13 years had been slashed. He was the only candidate United spoke to directly, despite reported interest in Julian Nagelsmann, Eddie Howe and Antonio Conte.

The 54-year-old Argentine is “renowned for his high-intensity, attacking style of football, his dedication to building strong, cohesive teams and his outstanding record of developing individual players,” and had “consistently performed at the highest level of football across multiple leagues,” United said when announcing his appointment Friday.

There has been criticism of United's handling of the process, making Carrick wait until Thursday to learn his fate that had been long-trailed.

The delay had been due to various reasons. Firstly, no decision could be made until an internal review had been carried out. The person said Carrick had been kept informed about the process.

It wasn't until a meeting with minority owner Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco on Wednesday that chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox made the recommendation to change the coach and the decision was made. Berrada and Wilcox returned to Manchester on Wednesday night and rather than inform Carrick by phone, chose to tell him face-to-face at a meeting at the club's training ground on Thursday morning, according to the person's description of events.

It is unlikely to have come as a surprise to Carrick, even if he was less than six months into a two-year contract.

He had overseen United's worst start for 40 years. With only one win in 10 games the 20-time English champion sits 18th in the standings, in the relegation zone.

Another person with knowledge of the decision-making process said the results were simply “not acceptable for Manchester United” and a change had to be made.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to do so publicly.

Pochettino, the person said, had the right a “philosophy, personality and skill set” that was the right fit for the role. His “outstanding record of individual talent development and history of building excellent team cultures” were also reasons behind his appointment.

His first game in charge will be against Liverpool on Nov. 22. He will be the latest in a long line of candidates charged with the responsibility of bringing the good times back to a club that for so long dominated English soccer.

United has not won the Premier League title since Ferguson's final season in 2013 and has been overtaken by rivals like Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Pochettino, who won the French title with PSG and turned Tottenham into a Premier League title challenger, had an underwhelming experience when last in England for one season with Chelsea in 2023-24.

Chelsea ended sixth in the standings, missing out on Champions League qualification and beaten by Liverpool in the final of the English League Cup to leave Pochettino still without a major trophy in English soccer.

Both United and Pochettino will hope that, together, they can snap that streak.

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

FILE - United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino listens to a question during a press conference ahead of his FIFA World Cup match against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File)

U.S. Men's National Soccer Team head coach Mauricio Pochettino walks on the pitch during practice, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, in Fayetteville, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

FILE - United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino gestures as he walks off the pitch after United States defeated Bosnia in the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

FILE - United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino celebrates with his players following the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

FILE - United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino looks on during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match against Belgium in Seattle, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)