Haitians Face Barriers to Attending World Cup Games

Haitians are looking forward to their national team’s first World Cup appearance since 1974, but high prices for tickets and transport, plus a travel ban, are preventing many from attending the games.

Haiti, who were drawn in Group C, will play Scotland on June 13 in Foxborough, near Boston. They then face Brazil on June 19 in Philadelphia and Morocco on June 24 in Atlanta.

“We are happy Haiti is back in the World Cup after 52 years,” Julio Midy, founder of Boston-based Radio Concorde, which caters to the local Haitian community, told Al Jazeera. “But tickets are very, very expensive and, unfortunately, we cannot afford it.”

The state of Massachusetts is home to one of the largest Haitian populations in the US – about 87,000, according to government figures. But as Haitians celebrated Les Grenadiers’ impending arrival during the fifth annual Haiti Flag Day at Boston City Hall on May 15, an informal survey failed to find anyone with a ticket to a match.

“For a long time, my office have been advocating for community tickets at a low cost or no cost, and we have just hit walls every time,” Haitian-American Boston City Councillor Ruthzee Louijeune told Al Jazeera.

“I know there are Haitian people that are going, that have purchased tickets at face value, or whatever price is going on online, but it is cost-prohibitive for a number of people in our community.”

Single tickets for the game against Scotland were listed at $2,100 on FIFA’s website on May 13.

Parking will cost $150 at the 68,000-capacity stadium in Foxborough and will be limited to 7,500 cars, with satellite lots a mile to two miles (1.6km to 3.2km) away costing a minimum of $50. The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority is charging $80 for round-trip train tickets from Boston’s South Station, a 48km (30-mile) ride followed by a half-mile walk each way.

“Haitians are crazy about soccer,” Midy said. “Unfortunately, for our community, $1,000 for a ticket is too much, even for me. I don’t have my tickets yet, but I’m optimistic we can find a way to go.”

He added: “We expected tickets to be expensive, OK, $200 to support our team. But this is [more than] four times our budget. Also, a lot of people my age don’t know how to go online to get tickets.”

Speaking to Al Jazeera at the Flag Day ceremony, Steevenson Chanson, a central defender on Boston International High School’s Division 5 state championship team, said it was his “dream” to watch Haiti at a World Cup, but he cannot afford a ticket.

“Of course I want to go, I’m excited to see my country play,” he said. “This is my dream, to watch my country.”

Massachusetts Senator Edward J Markey, who was among the presenters at the Flag Day, told Al Jazeera: “There is something fundamentally wrong when families in the Massachusetts Haitian community cannot afford tickets to an historic World Cup game, and I just think that it is critical that that problem can get rectified.”

Diaspora fans in the US are even more vital considering that most Haitians outside the country – like fans from Ivory Coast, Iran and Senegal – cannot enter the US now because of a travel ban imposed by the Trump administration.

“I know soccer fans will be here from around the world, the Tartan Army will be here, they’re coming in strong from Scotland,” Louijeune said.

“But because of the action of this federal administration, the people of Haiti are not able to come as easily as other countries, and we’re trying to do our best, as a diaspora, to make the team feel very prideful … maybe it will come via them releasing some tickets or working with sponsorships to make it happen.”

‘Great opportunity’

This will be Haiti’s fourth appearance in Foxborough. Between 2000 and 2015, the national team played three times in the CONCACAF Gold Cup (including a 2-2 draw and 1-0 loss to the US) before crowds averaging 30,000-plus.

In 2011, the Haiti Olympic team attracted a crowd of 11,513 for an earthquake relief fund benefit match at Harvard Stadium – at least 3,000 more fans than attended the MLS’ New England Revolution’s game at Gillette Stadium the previous night.

Moses Jean-Pierre, executive director of Hoops for Haiti, a Boston-based nonprofit, told Al Jazeera that going to a World Cup game would be a “great opportunity” for the young people they work with.

“For some of these kids, this is the biggest thing that will ever happen in their lifetime, sports-wise, and they would love to see that in person, especially see their country,” he said.

“So, we would love to see if we can get some tickets for these kids. Our concerns are the transportation costs. We don’t have the funding to pay for tickets, bus trips, Uber.”

Meanwhile, a “homecoming” public appearance is set on May 27 for Haiti forward Frantzdy Pierrot, who now plays for Turkish Super League club Caykur Rizespor but used to compete locally for Melrose High School, Northeastern University and the club team Seacoast United.

Midy emphasises the event will be free and all are invited.

“You are trying to support your country, so it’s been frustrating when I’m reading articles about [FIFA] making millions of dollars,” Midy said.

“It feels like [high prices are] a way to officially kick you out, but they don’t tell you they’re kicking you out.”