Haiti forced to change World Cup jerseys after FIFA rejects 'political' elements

Haiti has been forced to change its World Cup jerseys after FIFA rejected design elements that it considered political, according to reports from The Guardian and El País.

The original kit included silhouettes inspired by the Battle of Vertières, the 1803 battle seen as a key moment in Haitian independence history. The design was created by Saeta, which said it worked through FIFA's approval process and then made the changes requested by the governing body.

What changed

The revised jerseys remove the contested historical references. Saeta said the original concept was intended to reflect Haitian pride and resilience, but FIFA treated the imagery as politically sensitive under its equipment rules.

The original shirts had already been worn in recent friendlies against New Zealand and Peru before the changes were required.

Tournament context

Haiti is returning to the World Cup for the first time since 1974. The team is in Group C and is scheduled to open against Scotland, with Brazil and Morocco also in the group.

The episode highlights FIFA's control over national-team kit design, including its power to reject symbols and references it deems political, religious or offensive. In this case, the dispute centered on whether a piece of historical imagery could remain on Haiti's World Cup shirt.