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Haitian kompa music pounded through speakers, the aroma of pâté chicken wafted through the air and dozens gathered Saturday in a sea of blue and red soccer jerseys during what the community hopes is the first of many block parties celebrating Haiti returning to the World Cup for the first time in more than 50 years.
Several community groups, including the Little Haiti Cultural Complex and Sounds of Little Haiti, came together to put on the free event that saw Haitians, Haitian-Americans and soccer fans of all stripes unite in the culturally rich Miami neighborhood.
“It is monumental knowing that our young people are bringing some new, fresh hope to Haiti,” said Madline Noel, founder and chair of the Haitian Mobilization Committee. “It is amazing to be able to celebrate with them, even from a distance, and bringing everyone together.”
The block party not only celebrated Haiti qualifying for the first time since 1974, but also the profound impact Haiti’s return to the international soccer stage could mean in terms of the revitalization of the Haitian spirit during hard times on the Caribbean island. Haiti has been plagued by gang violence and economic instability.
READ MORE: Haiti makes history, returns to the World Cup for the first time in 52 years
“With the history of everything that’s been going on in the last year and a half in Haiti, we are clinging on to this positive news,” said Sandy Dorsainvil, executive producer of Sounds of Little Haiti. “We want this type of joy and elation to last as long as possible. … To get some really good news in the middle of that just feels like a little rainbow in the sky.”
Along Northeast 59th Terrace, in front of the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, a stage was set up that boomed with Haitian music, and food stalls dotted the barricaded road serving fresh cuisine, like griot and pâté lambi, from local restaurants and home kitchens.
The block party saw many children and families who played with soccer balls and nets provided for some leisurely matches. Many partygoers were excited to see that Little Haiti F.C., a youth soccer club that serves around 200 children, was in attendance. The young boys were state champions last year and made it to the finals this year.
The boys who were in attendance, ranging in age from 8 to 13, told the Miami Herald they were ecstatic about Haiti making the World Cup and how many of them dreamed of becoming professional soccer players.
Some adults tested their skill playing soccer with the young boys during the event, guarding nets or kicking the ball around, but none was more successful than City of Miami Police Officer Guerrier.
In full uniform, in between making her patrol rounds at the block party, Guerrier gave the boys a good challenge. She told the Herald she’d been playing soccer all her life, even when she was a child in Haiti.
Nicolas Andre was 6 when Haiti first qualified for the World Cup in the ‘70s. He smiled from ear to ear as he explained how joyous it was to see his country make it there again in his lifetime.
“To see that happening right now, I feel so proud that we have something positive to talk about our country,” said Andre, director of the Haitian Studies Program at Florida International University.
Andre emphasized that the World Cup means more than just a soccer game, but hopefully something that will rally the masses.
“We know soccer is something Haitians hold very dearly, so that means a lot,” he said. “This is something that can unify Haitians so we can solve our problems together. My hope is that Haitians can understand now we can do a lot of things together when we get together.”
This story was originally published November 22, 2025 at 10:32 PM.
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Devoun Cetoute
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