Woodensky Pierre has been cleared for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after finally securing a US visa

Woodensky Pierre of Haiti (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) The US government has finally granted a visa to Pierre Wooden, a member of the Haitian national soccer team, to travel to the 2026 FIFA World Cup after days of uncertainty over his participation in the tournament. Pierre is the only domestic player on Haiti’s national soccer team and there were fears he would miss the tournament as US President Donald Trump’s administration extended travel restrictions to the countries and Haiti is among those nations subject to visa restrictions. While all the other 25 members of the team are overseas and have been granted visa earlier for the World Cup. However, Pierre has now been cleared to travel to the US and the crucial clearance allows the young midfielder to join his teammates in Florida for the upcoming World Cup.Haiti Football Federation spokesman Thecieux Jeanty confirmed to the media that Pierre boarded a flight to Florida on Tuesday to immediately join the national camp.“It was a great moment for him, a moment of happiness,” Jeanty told the press. Supporters gathered around Pierre when he arrived at Port-au-Prince airport on Tuesday. Airport staff scrambled to get photos with him, while his mother hugged him several times before departing for the marquee event.Among the crowd was ecstatic fan Guy Ernst Phillipe, who embraced Pierre and proudly said: “We couldn’t be more proud… I’m touching history right now.”Pierre’s journey to the game’s biggest world stage is quite remarkable. The defensive midfielder, who plays for Haitian club Violette AC, comes from Cite Soleil, a seaside neighborhood that has long struggled with hunger, massacres and gang violence. It is located in the western part of Port-au-Prince with gangs controlling roughly 70% of the capital.Pierre trained with local players in the upscale Port-au-Prince area while he waited for his visa. The team’s stadium in Haiti’s capital was deemed too dangerous due to security concerns, and the North American country was forced to play its home World Cup qualifiers over 1,000 kilometers away in Curaçao.Pierre’s teammates arrived in Florida last week to begin preparations for the World Cup. It is only the second time the country has qualified for the World Cup, with their solitary appearance coming more than half a century ago in 1974. Haiti will open their World Cup campaign on June 13 in Foxborough, Mass., against Scotland. They will then take on heavyweights and five-time world champions Brazil in Philadelphia on June 19 before completing their group games against Morocco on June 24 in Atlanta. For Haitian fans, their journey to the World Cup remains uncertain as travel bans and visa restrictions prevent most general supporters from attending matches.