Galway United’s Frantz Pierrot on Haiti's World Cup return: "People only know us from what the news says – we never really had a chance to show ourselves on the big stage"

Galway United’s Frantz Pierrot grew up in Bas Limbé in the Haitian countryside, where he spent 11 years before moving to the US. Despite leaving at a young age, he has vivid memories of growing up there.

“After school we would make plans to meet and would play until it got dark,” Frantz reminisces. “We would do our homework, and then play football and forget about everything. It was really great growing up. We had an incredible childhood. Just kids being kids and playing football, even if we never knew where it was going to take us.”

Frantz joined Galway United last February after impressing at Athlone Town and Drogheda United, winning the FAI Cup with the latter in 2024. His brother Frantzdy is Haiti’s second all-time top scorer with 33 goals in 49 appearances. Signed to AEK Athens but currently on loan at Çaykur Rizespor in Turkey, the 31-year-old striker has played a crucial role in helping Les Grenadiers qualify for the World Cup, ending the nation’s 52-year absence.

 

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“I’m genuinely so proud, it’s incredible,” says Frantz. “To have a brother that’s driving us forward, it’s a different feeling. I’m so happy for him. He’s worked so hard and I’ve looked up to him for my whole career. I can’t wait to see him scoring and being on that stage, he’s impacted a lot of people. He’s a great example, he’s a leader and someone to be proud of.”

Frantz has also represented Haiti’s national team, making his senior international debut in March 2024 in a 1-1 draw with French Guiana.

“When I was in Haiti as a kid, I dreamt I would be in the national team,” he says. “I didn’t really believe until I saw my brother do it, and I thought I could definitely do it as well. For me, it was the most beautiful thing. Even if I never get called again, I’ll be happy, but my aim is to get called back. It’s a goal I’m working towards. But yeah, that feeling was incredible.”

Haiti have vastly improved the quality of their squad since confirming qualification in November, bringing in Premier League footballers Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Wilson Isidor, as well as Josué Casimirand and Carlens Arcus from Ligue 1 in France. While acknowledging they are underdogs, Frantz is optimistic about their chances of progressing.

“We’re the underdog in the group and a lot of people are doubting us for sure, but there’s nothing wrong with that,” he says. “I know we have Morocco, Scotland and Brazil, but we could get a win and a tie, hopefully it will happen. We have heart, we have everything you need to make it, there’s no doubt about it.”

If Haiti are to progress to the next round, they will do so without any travelling support. The US imposed a full travel ban on Haiti in 2025, while flights from the airport in Port-Au-Prince have extended restrictions due to gang violence. Thus, those living in Haiti are essentially prohibited from travelling to the World Cup, and will have to rely on their diaspora to cheer on the team. Frantz however, doesn’t see this as an issue and believes that the US emigrants can provide enough support.

 

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“It’s unfair, but again, it is what it is,” he says. “We haven’t been one of the most-loved countries by others. They look down on us a lot, but that’s just its own thing. We are everywhere. There’s a huge population in Boston and Philadelphia, and in Florida too.”

When most people think of Haiti, they think of the devastating earthquake in 2010, the assassination of its president in 2021, and gangs in Port-Au-Prince that have terrorised civilians. Frantz, frustrated by these perceptions, believes the World Cup can change how his country is seen and provide Haitians with something to cheer for.

“It’s going to change a lot,” he says. “People only know us from what the news says, and we never really had a chance to show ourselves on the big stage. This is an opportunity to do that. It will definitely bring peace in the country and make people know Haiti for who we are and not what anybody else says.

“We don’t let our situation define who we are. Even with the earthquake, we always held our heads high. With the situation with our president, what’s happening with the gangs, it’s never been a true reflection of us as people. There’s always a difference between the law and the people in the country, and we always stay true to ourselves.

“You will really see that we are resilient, we’re persistent, and I think that’s going to show. A lot of people have had the chance to read our history, but they’ve never seen us on the big stage.”

Read Liam Cunningham's report on Haiti's World Cup return – as a welcome moment of national pride for a country gripped by gang violence, displacement and humanitarian crisis – here.

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