FIFA Forces Haiti World Cup Jersey Change Over Battle Art

Haiti World Cup jersey change will shape what Les Grenadiers wear before a ball is kicked against Scotland. FIFA made Haiti change a Saeta shirt that carried imagery tied to the Battle of Vertières and the Haitian revolution after the design was treated as political during the approval process.

Saeta, the Colombia-based sportswear company, said the design was meant to celebrate the pride, resilience and spirit of the Haitian people, and that it was not intended as a political statement. FIFA’s decision leaves Haiti opening its World Cup week with a redesigned shirt, a sold-out original design and a second uniform dispute with a global sports body in the same year.

The Shirt Changed Before Kickoff

The original shirt had already appeared on the field. The Guardian reported that Haiti wore the now-banned shirts in pre-tournament friendlies against New Zealand and Peru, and the Miami Herald reported that the team would wear a different set when it opens World Cup play against Scotland on June 13.

The Miami Herald reported, citing a source, that the disputed element was the illustration of the Nov. 18, 1803, Bataille de Vertières with the Haitian flag embedded on the jersey. The Guardian placed the point of contention on the shirt’s right hip, where it said the design carried silhouettes inspired by the Battle of Vertières and the Haitian revolution. FIFA did not provide the Miami Herald with additional details.

Saeta’s statement said several concepts had been developed and submitted through FIFA’s standard approval process. The company said FIFA determined that certain visual elements could be read differently under its equipment rules, then requested changes. In FIFA’s official portrait sessions, the Guardian reported, Haiti players were wearing jerseys without the iconography.

What FIFA’s Rule Lets It Do

FIFA’s published tournament regulations explain how a design dispute moves through an equipment process. Article 28.1 says the FIFA Equipment Regulations and the FIFA Media and Marketing Regulations apply to all matches in the final competition, with FIFA equipment rules taking precedence when the two sets conflict.

The same article prohibits political, religious, or personal messages or slogans on playing kit, team clothing, equipment or the body during official activity. The wording sits inside the World Cup kit approval rules, the FIFA document dated May 2026.

1. Participating member associations send FIFA samples of first-choice and alternative playing kits intended for the final competition.
2. FIFA issues a written team equipment inspection report that approves or rejects the items.
3. If an article of kit is out of line with FIFA equipment or media and marketing regulations, the association must change it and resubmit corrected items within the inspection report timeline.
4. The regulations say those decisions are not subject to appeal.
5. All equipment that could be displayed in stadiums, training sites, hotels or during transfers is re-checked and approved during the Team Arrival Meeting.

Article 28.6 goes further. FIFA approval applies only to the sample items submitted and reviewed, and FIFA says a change in the context of design, text, images or associated messages can change the approved use of an item.

The same clause says FIFA can withdraw approval at any time if an approved item is used in conflict with FIFA requirements and regulations. It also says the item shall not be used and disciplinary proceedings can be opened against the relevant participating member association.

Saeta Built the Kit Around Identity

Saeta’s own public design trail points in a different direction. In December, before the official kit had been designed, the company wrote that its design team was gathering ideas, references and cultural elements to build an authentic and representative jersey, with the early Haiti kit design brief still open.

• Analysis of the country’s traditional colors.
• Review of cultural symbols and graphic patterns.
• Exploration of modern football aesthetic trends.
• Collection of suggestions and contributions from the Haitian community.
• A goal of reflecting the history, energy and resilience of the Haitian people.

By the time FIFA objected, Saeta said it had worked with the Haitian Football Federation on a final design meant as a tribute to people contributing to Haiti’s future. The company said its interpretation differed from FIFA’s, but that it respected the process and implemented the final requirements communicated by FIFA.

The Sold-Out Shirt Is Already in Circulation

The ruling landed after the shirts had reached buyers and warmup lineups. The Guardian reported that all three Saeta versions of Haiti’s shirts were sold out on the Saeta website, while Saeta’s U.S. homepage showed the authentic blue, red and white Haiti jerseys listed at $119.99 with an Out Of Stock status.

The same shop page said purchases of an official Haiti jersey directly support Goals Haiti, a foundation that promotes social and sports initiatives through football. Those details sit on the Haiti jersey shop listings, alongside the product cards and prices.

For supporters tracking a separate tournament rule issue, see our guide to World Cup bottle rule change. The Haiti shirt case is different because it attaches the rule question to the team’s visual identity.

Haiti’s History Keeps Meeting Neutrality Rules

The disputed art carried a specific historical reference. The Miami Herald described Vertières as the decisive battle against Napoleon’s army that led to freedom from France, and reported that Haiti qualified for the World Cup on the battle’s 222nd anniversary.

The same report said officials with the Haitian Football Federation had hoped to take the team to Cap-Haïtien, where players could draw inspiration from the Citadelle Henry or from Vertières, the memorial park near the city center. Neither visit happened, according to the Miami Herald.

Rules are rules and must be respected, and that is what we have done.

Stella Jean, the Italian-Haitian designer of Haiti’s Winter Olympics uniforms, made that point to AP at the Haitian Embassy in Rome after the IOC required Louverture’s image to be painted out, leaving a red horse. AP’s account of how the Olympic uniform was altered said the IOC did not respond to a request for comment on why Louverture’s image violated the rule.

AP reported that the Olympic Charter binds national Olympic committees to neutrality in political matters and bars political, religious or racial propaganda from Olympic sites or venues. FIFA’s rule book uses similar neutrality language for kits and match protocol, and Haiti has now met both systems through images of its founding history.

The Group Stage Starts Without the Old Design

Haiti’s schedule is already fixed around the redesigned shirt. The match list sits in Haiti’s three group stage fixtures, with ESPN listing dates, times and broadcast information for the Scotland, Brazil and Morocco games.

The fixture list does not change because of the shirt. The image does. Haiti starts against Scotland on June 13 with the battle panel removed from the playing jersey.