FIFA forces Haiti to remove Battle of Vertières imagery from 2026 World Cup kits
Haiti’s 2026 World Cup kits have been changed after FIFA rejected historical imagery included in the original design. The shirts, made by Colombian supplier Saeta, featured silhouettes inspired by the Battle of Vertières and the Haitian revolution, placed on the right hip of the kit.
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The reference was connected to Haiti’s independence history, but FIFA considered the visual elements incompatible with its equipment rules before the tournament.
What changed on the Haiti shirt
The original Haiti 2026 World Cup set includes blue, white and red shirts, with the national team badge placed in the center of the chest. The key issue was not the crest, the colors or the main shirt structure.
The design change concerns the historical illustration on the lower right side of the shirt. In the revised version, the Battle of Vertières-inspired artwork has been removed, leaving a cleaner version of the same kit concept for World Cup use.
Haiti had already worn the original version in pre-tournament friendlies, but FIFA’s official World Cup portrait images show players wearing the altered shirt without the contested imagery.
Saeta responds to FIFA’s decision
Saeta said the kit was designed in collaboration with the Haitian Football Federation to celebrate the pride, resilience and spirit of the Haitian people. The supplier also said the design was intended as a tribute, not as a political statement.
FIFA’s World Cup regulations prohibit political, religious or personal messages and slogans on team kits and other official equipment. The regulations also give FIFA authority to approve or reject submitted kit items, with non-compliant designs required to be changed and resubmitted.
For Haiti, the decision has turned a historical shirt detail into a major pre-tournament kit controversy. The final design keeps the national colors and central federation badge, but removes the visual reference that made the original shirt stand out.
