UMVA has learned that Haiti's national football team has been forced to make a last-minute change to their 2026 World Cup shirts due to concerns raised by Fifa about 'political' elements in the original design.
The Concacaf side, set to face Scotland in their first game, had already unveiled a set of jerseys that proved hugely popular with supporters, but Fifa ruled that parts of the design could be viewed as 'political', prompting the team to modify their shirts just days before the tournament begins.
The original shirts, produced by manufacturer Saeta, featured red collars and sleeves, with Haiti's badge positioned in the centre of the chest, but it was the artwork on the right hip area that caught Fifa's attention, depicting silhouettes inspired by the Battle of Vertières and the Haitian Revolution.
The imagery referenced a pivotal moment in Haiti's history, when Jean-Jacques Dessalines removed the white section from a French flag to create a new banner for the world's first free black republic, but Fifa concluded that some elements of the design could be interpreted differently under its equipment regulations.
Saeta spent months working alongside the Haitian Football Federation to create a shirt design that celebrated 'the pride, resilience and spirit of the Haitian people', but ultimately accepted Fifa's decision and made the requested alterations, despite differing interpretations of the design.
By this week, evidence of the redesign was clear, as Haiti's players wore modified shirts in official World Cup portrait photographs released by Fifa, a noticeable change from their recent preparations, where they wore the original versions during pre-World Cup friendlies.
Supporters hoping to get hold of the original designs may be out of luck, as all three versions have sold out through Saeta's website, and there's no sign of replacement stock being prepared, making them potential collectors' items amongst football shirt fans.
This is not the first time a Haitian team has had to alter competition clothing at short notice, as earlier in 2026, the country's athletes faced a similar issue before the Winter Olympics, where the International Olympic Committee required Haiti's ski suits to be redesigned due to artwork breaching design rules.
For now, attention will return to events on the pitch as Haiti prepare to take on Scotland in their opening match, wearing shirts inspired by their national story, just not quite the same version that supporters rushed to buy before the tournament began.
