WASHINGTON, D.C. — The World Cup draw has come to a close, and while the United States may be big winners, there are plenty of teams with reasons for hope ahead of next summer. The draw is also a time for celebrating the improbable journey that teams have gone on to make it to the World Cup.
From first-time qualifiers, the playoff hopefuls, and teams who ended lengthy World Cup droughts like Haiti, this is a time to celebrate and reflect a bit on where you came from and what’s to come in the future.
Here’s what to know about some of those lesser-known squads:
Haiti draw giants, aim to show world what they’re about
Qualifying for the World Cup is already a tough task, but Sebastien Migne led the Haitian national team to their first World Cup since 1974, ending a 52-year drought. They were able to do that despite playing all of their Concacaf World Cup qualifiers as a road team due to safety concerns in their own country. It’s something that, in a way, will prepare them for the World Cup as Haiti are used to playing away from home, but if they’re in a city like Miami, where there’s a large Haitian population, that’s when it may turn into something that feels like a home affair for them.
Getting to this point is a culmination of work put in by Haiti and FIFA, and it’s something that Migne is proud of, as this team has come a long way.
“Haiti is unfortunately going through a difficult period as a country and it’s difficult to organize football at a domestic level on the island due to the lack of security for the time being so there’s a normalization committee that FIFA established which has done a tremendous job there in the way that they can even sometimes being in Haiti with the risks that this entails but we focus with them on the national teams,” FIFA Director Member Associations Americas Jair Bertoni said. “Many of the players are growing within, and when they’re adults, they play abroad, so we focus on the national team and the possibilities to give these girls and boys the space to train.
“Sometimes, they have to go to the Dominican Republic for camps in the past. Sometimes we have to organize camps in Europe, and it’s a dream come true that they’ve now qualified as a national team with the strong work by the normalization committee and the investment from FIFA Forward.”
Things like this investment can fly under the radar despite playing such a critical role in the stabilization of soccer in places like Haiti. It has also had a large impact on smaller nations such as Les Grenadiers, Cabo Verde, and Curacao. Minge welcomes the World Cup and the challenges that it will provide for his players.
“I know we have a lot of Haitian people in the States, so maybe if we play in the eastern part, it will be interesting for us, but we will find a solution and an adaptation. You know, my players are used to playing away since we qualified as a team by playing our games all away, so it was a huge performance, and it will be important to continue in the United States,” Minge said following the World Cup draw.
“I was very proud, not for myself, but for my team and my players because it will be a fantastic opportunity and visibility for Haitian people to play the cream of the cream with Brazil. And for my players it’s fantastic, but for the future too, because you cannot have more visibility.”
Placed in Group C alongside Brazil, Morocco, and Scotland, it will be tough for Haiti to even get a point, but when they’ve come a long way to be here, no possibilities can be ruled out.
First-time qualifiers aim to make noise
Four teams: Uzbekistan, Jordan, Curacao, and Cabo Verde, have made the World Cup for the first time in their histories, and they’ll get quite an experience. Jordan will face Lionel Messi and Argentina in a group that they could get out of. Cabo Verde are matched with Spain and Uruguay, where history runs deep. Curacao have Germany in their group, in another group that they could advance from. Uzbekistan will also get Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.
It’s one thing for these sides to now know their paths, but it’s also time when they can begin to dream. Sometimes, for smaller nations, the best parts of the World Cup experience can be the joy of qualifying and the first game, when hope is at its highest. Everyone wants to play and share the pitch with the best players possible, and they’ll get a chance to do just that. After already defying the odds to even get to this World Cup, it’ll be tough sledding for them to advance further in the tournament. But two things not to discount — eight of the 12 third-place teams will advance, giving smaller teams an even better chance of making it through. Secondly, the pride in making it to this stage and the party that will ensue when fans are able to cheer on their teams will be like none other, and that counts for something when it comes to motivation.
Playoff sides eagers to get going
Hopes may be hanging on by a thread, and 22 teams are fighting for the final six slots at the World Cup. This is due to the UEFA playoffs and the FIFA inter-confederation playoffs, which will all take place during the March international break, keeping the World Cup dream alive for those nations. They now know that they could have a chance at advancing as a team, such as Turkiye, which could come in second or even win Group D, which includes the United States. For others, the outlook may not be as rosy, but knowing where you’d land if you survive past March is always a good thing.
