Might a former Celtic hero help Haiti surprise Scotland?

'Haitian players have talent and resilience'

Fans celebrated on the streets of Port-au-Prince after Haiti qualified for the 2026 World Cup [Getty Images]

For Haiti, issues off the field are also a problem.

Since the country was devastated by an earthquake in 2010, armed gangs have been in an ongoing battle with government forces and have seized much of the capital city, Port-au-Prince.

It has left more than a million people homeless and caused widespread food shortages.

From a football perspective, Haiti qualified for the World Cup despite being unable to play any of their qualifiers at home.

Their manager, Frenchman Sebastian Migne, has never been to Haiti as it too dangerous for foreigners to travel there.

But Salbert and the Haiti FA have still managed to convince some big names to represent the country, with the World Cup a major lure.

"The problems in Haiti don't really have anything to do with it - players refusing to represent countries happens a lot when they are based overseas," he said. "It is tough at first glance.

"Take the case of Wilson Isidor - he has Haitian roots. We must convince them to play with the heart. That helps with players; the football gives them hope amid the trauma their country faces and helps the team move forwards."

Salbert's agency is based in Paris, but he was born on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, an overseas region of France.

This connection to the region, plus the challenge of working with a beleaguered country like Haiti, drew him in.

"I think football belongs to everyone, and their players have a lot of talent, also a lot of resilience," he said.

"They have a lot of skills, which I like. There are a lot of Haitian communities in Guadaloupe so I know a lot about the personalities."

'They know they won't have second chance'

Former Congo, Kenya and Equatorial Guinea manager Sebastian Migne will lead Haiti against Scotland in Foxborough [Getty Images]

Salbert began working with the Haitian FA in 2024 and recommended Migne, who has World Cup experience as Cameroon assistant coach at Qatar 2022.

He has since been tasked to recruit players from around the world who would be eligible to hold a Haitian passport – something made much more difficult by him being unable to travel to the country itself.

"I cannot travel in Haiti, so I use a scout who is in the Caribbean," Salbert says. "And also WyScout - a local scout spots a player in Haiti, I check the system then contact the player to sign with my agency and then suggest them to the coach.

"The inability to go there was the first question the coach asked, as he can't go there to scout. A lot of his job was online, but he is in touch with the people there.

"They hope to be back in Haiti after World Cup for a short event, I don't know if it is secure, but it may be possible for them to go home."

Despite a patchwork squad and playing their home games on nearby Curacao, Haiti have reached the men's World Cup finals for the first time since 1974.

On what it meant for Haiti to qualify, Salbert said: "There was a feeling of pride. It showed us how good football is in Haiti and shows that big sense of resilience.

"The players look at themselves and look at the World Cup as a chance to advance their careers. They know they will not have a second chance.

"No one expects anything from Haiti at the World Cup but I think Scotland, we can give them a surprise."