Overview:
Haiti’s U-17 men’s team is one win away from qualifying for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup after a 4–0 victory over Antigua and Barbuda moved Les Petits Grenadiers into second place in Group C. The result sets up a decisive final qualifier against group leader Guatemala on Feb. 10. Haiti must win to advance, while Guatemala can qualify with a win or a draw.
CAP-HAÏTIEN — Haiti’s U-17 men’s team is now one win away from qualifying for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup — and making history in the process.
With a dominant 4–0 victory over Antigua and Barbuda, Les Petits Grenadiers moved into second place in Group C and set up a decisive final match against group leader Guatemala on Tuesday night. A win would send Haiti to a second straight U-17 World Cup — something no Haitian team at this level has achieved before.
The showdown against the group leader, Guatemala, will determine the only automatic qualifier from the group. A draw or loss eliminates Haiti. Guatemala advances with either a win or a draw.
Fans reacted quickly on social media after the second straight win.
Translation: “World Cup, here we come.”
Good job. I’m waiting for the qualification. Go Les Grenadiers.
Translation: “We’re going to the World Cup in all categories. Grenadye alaso.”
Gadiner Jean Robenson was referring to the fact that the senior men’s team will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the under-17 women’s team reached the second round of the 2026 U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers last week. So, Haiti has the opportunity to play in three World Cups this year.
Haiti opened the Concacaf U-17 qualifiers with two strong results — a 5–1 win over Grenada, followed by the 4–0 shutout against Antigua and Barbuda — scoring nine goals across two matches and moving into contention for the group’s lone World Cup spot.
The group winner automatically qualifies for the World Cup, making the Feb. 10 matchup between the top two teams decisive. Haiti must win to qualify, while Guatemala would secure its spot with either a win or a draw.
Offensive prowess
Through two matches, Les Petits Grenadiers have shown fluid movement from the back line into attack, with quick passing and coordinated runs. The team has completed more than 1,000 passes so far — among the top totals in the qualifiers — and created repeated chances through wing play and counterattacks.
Winger Emerson Laissé, 16, has been one of the breakout performers. Dangerous on the left side, he has repeatedly beaten defenders and leads the team in assists with three. He also drew two penalties against Grenada and converted one.
Observers note his improved composure compared with last year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup, often taking an extra moment to pick out the final pass.
Center forward Marvenly Exilas, 15, also made an immediate impact, scoring a hat trick in his first official match with Haiti against Grenada. The Miragoâne native has shown sharp positioning inside the box and calm finishing on counterattacks. He also forced an own goal against Antigua and Barbuda with a driven cross.
“He’s only 15 years old and has a lot of potential,” sports reporter Caleb Jephté Pierre wrote on Facebook, calling Exilas a future contender at the No. 9 position.
To add to his three goals, Exilas also forced an own goal out of Antigua via a cross.
Defensive holes
Despite the strong scorelines, defensive gaps remain a concern heading into the match against Guatemala, which has scored nine goals in two games.
Haiti has allowed just one goal so far, but defenders have at times been caught out of position, leaving runners unmarked during transitions. Goalkeeper Clifford Gene was forced into a key one-on-one save in the second half against Antigua and Barbuda to preserve the clean sheet.
Fans and analysts say those lapses could prove costly against a sharper attack.
“If we didn’t have a good goalkeeper, we would’ve conceded a lot of goals,” Ducles Wenkel commented on Facebook. “The defense needs a lot of help, on the right, on the left, and in the middle. This same problem in the defense made us lose all of our games in the World Cup last year.”
The warning is given based on recent history. In the last U-17 World Cup, Haiti conceded heavily in group play, including an 8–1 loss to England — the program’s worst defeat at that level.
“The team [Haiti] is good with the ball, it attacks well,” Samson le Grand commented on Facebook. “But the players aren’t good without the ball. They don’t press as a block. And the defense isn’t solid enough. We need to take care of these before the last match.”
Haiti’s defense could decide whether it reaches a second straight World Cup. The team must beat the host and group leader, Guatemala, to advance.
The match will be played at Progreso Cementos Stadium in Guatemala City at 8 p.m. ET and streamed on Concacaf’s YouTube channel.
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