Overview:
Haiti beat the Dominican Republic 4-1 Thursday night in a highly anticipated Concacaf Nations League A match, underscoring Les Grenadiers’ soccer dominance over their island neighbors. That third straight win moves the team closer to a quarterfinal berth ahead of the group stage finale on Oct. 4.
Haiti delivered a dominant 4-1 victory over its Hispaniola neighbor, Dominican Republic, in one of the most anticipated soccer matches Thursday night at Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium in Santo Domingo.
The win extended Les Grenadiers’ perfect start in the 2026-2027 Concacaf Nations League campaign, moving them closer to securing a place in the tournament’s quarterfinals with one match remaining in the group stage.
The game carried more than three points. Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of Hispaniola and deep commercial, family and social ties, but migration disputes, border tensions and political disagreements have also shaped their relationship.
More than 23,000 fans attended the match, according to Dominican media reports. Tickets had sold out before kickoff, and Haitian supporters celebrated throughout the night.
Haiti made the occasion count as Haitians celebrated during all 90 minutes. Thursday’s victory offered a rare chance to celebrate those ties through soccer.
Partial view of the Haitian crowd at Félix Sánchez Olympic Stadium in Santo Domingo during the Concacaf Nations League match between the neighboring countries on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. Photo credit: Concacaf Nations League.
In a post-match interview, star striker Wilson Isidor said the players understood the occasion’s significance for Haitian supporters.
“We had our hearts set on winning this game, for all Haitians in the world,” he said. “We knew that this was an important match for them today. We did everything we could to prepare properly. I hope they are proud of us for the result we achieved in the match.”
Deedson Louicius opened the scoring in the ninth minute, finishing a move assisted by Ruben Providence. Wilson Isidor then scored twice in the second half, in the 51st and 67th minutes, while Dominican Republic forward Dorny Romero pulled one back in the 55th.
“We had our hearts set on winning this game, for all Haitians in the world,” he said. We knew that this was an important match for them today.”
Striker Wilson Isidor
Yassin Fortuné offered Haiti the three-goal advantage with a header in the 77th minute to complete the scoring.
The victory gave Haiti nine points from three matches and kept it among the top two teams in Group A, with its sights set on the quarterfinals. Curaçao also reached nine points after edging Trinidad and Tobago 1-0 earlier Thursday, while the Dominican Republic remained on six points.
Haiti takes control of the game
Haiti controlled the match in nearly every category, dominating with 54% possession and producing 14 shots, 11 on target, according to match statistics. Dominican goalkeeper Xavier Valdez made seven saves, including a penalty kick from Isidor in the first half.
Providence played a key role in the opening goal and remained a constant threat on Haiti’s left flank, while Isidor emerged as the decisive finisher. The striker, who also scored in both Haiti’s previous games against Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica, had a brace against the Dominicans to cap a strong start to the competition.
The Haitian Football Federation (FHF) celebrated the result after the final whistle.
“We are proud. We are happy. We are savoring our victory while staying focused on the next match!”
A video clip posted on FHF Media’s Facebook page showed Haitians running toward the federation’s president, Monique André, to celebrate in the stadium tunnel.
The victory also extended Haiti’s unbeaten advantage in the historical series between the two national teams. Based on 14 head-to-heads since 1976, Haiti now leads the matchup 10-3-1.
Thursday’s match carried both sporting stakes and broader historical resonance. Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Curaçao entered the third matchday of League A’s Group A with six points each after two victories, making the Santo Domingo showdown an important battle near the top of the standings.
The game also came one day before the Oct. 2 anniversary of the beginning of the 1937 massacre of Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent under Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, one of the most traumatic episodes in the history of relations between the two countries. Haitians in Haiti and abroad made it a topic of conversation during the match build-up.
Badía’s perfect start continues as Costa Rica awaits in group finale
The victory was head coach David Badía’s third straight since taking over Haiti in early September.
Badía began his tenure with a 3-2 comeback victory over Trinidad and Tobago at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. Three days later, Haiti defeated Costa Rica 2-0 at the same venue.
The team has scored nine goals and conceded only three in those three matches, giving Badía a perfect 3-0 record as the team prepares to close the group stage.
The Spaniard’s start comes after Haiti’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first in 52 years, where the team played all of its matches outside Haiti because of the country’s security crisis.
Haiti will close the group stage Sunday against Costa Rica at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San José at 8 p.m. ET.
The top two teams in each of League A’s two groups advance to the quarterfinals, where they will join Mexico, the United States, Canada and Panama, which received direct entry as top four Concacaf teams. The quarterfinals will be played over two legs in November.
For Haiti, the immediate objective has changed from surviving the group to determining where it will finish among the qualifiers.
But in Santo Domingo, the message was already clear: On a night filled with anticipation, history and national pride, Les Grenadiers delivered the result Haitian supporters had come to see.
