'Pride forever' - Wolves star continues international fairytale after sealing World Cup place

Bellegarde, who only won his first cap in September, played the full 90 minutes of Tuesday night’s 2-0 win over Nicaragua which sealed the Caribbean island’s place in next summer’s tournament.

It is only the second time Haiti has ever qualified for the World Cup, having previously reached the 1974 finals.

Their story is made even more remarkable by the fact they have to play home matches more than 500 miles away in Curacao, an island just off the coast of Venezuela, due to the conflict which has raged in Haiti since 2021.

Head coach Sebastien Migne has never been to Haiti, with Bellegarde one of several players he convinced to pledge their international allegiance earlier this year.

The 27-year-old was born just north of Paris and represented France as a youth international.

Tuesday’s match was his sixth for Haiti and a career highlight. Bellegarde wrote on social media: “November 18, 2025 a symbolic date that will remain etched forever. I committed myself with a group, a team, a family my nation. 

“I thank the Haitian people for all their support. Special mention to my wife, my son, my father, my mother, my brothers, who supported me in playing for the Haitian national team. Pride forever.”

Bellegarde has quickly become a fan favourite among Haitians, with more than 20,000 of them voting for him to be named Wolves’ player of the month for August.

Speaking then about his decision to represent Haiti, he said: “I'm so happy to represent my country and my family are very proud of this, before I played for France, but now I'm playing for Haiti, and my family are very happy about this. It was a good experience.

“I feel like I'm representing my family. It is a small country, but now we have the chance to play at the World Cup, so my family tell me it’s a good moment for play for Haiti, and I think it’s a big opportunity for me.”