An island nation that is featured on US President Donald Trump's travel ban list - and which he reportedly referred to as a 's**thole' in 2018 - could secure a place in the 2026 World Cup.
Haiti, which shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, is home to over 11 million people.
The nation has been hit with various crises in recent years, including a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010 and the assassination of its president, Jovenel Moise, in 2021.
On the football scene, Haiti have only qualified for the World Cup once, in 1974, but are edging towards ending what is set to be a 52-year wait.
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They defeated 2014 quarter-finalists Costa Rica 1-0 in the third round of CONCACAF qualifying on Thursday to draw level on points with group leaders Honduras.
Haiti travel to already-eliminated Nicaragua for their final fixture, while Honduras face a daunting away trip to Costa Rica.
Only one of the teams will earn automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, while the other could face an inter-confederation play-off to get there.
Should they qualify, there will be logistical question marks for Haiti to deal with, as they are one of 12 nations to have been placed in the highest category of President Trump's travel ban list.
The ban, which came into effect in June, prevents any citizens from Haiti - as well as Iran, who have qualified for the World Cup - from entering the United States, with some exemptions.
They include athletes, their teams (coaches and supporting staff) and their immediate family when travelling to major sporting events.
But for the majority of Haitian fans who wish to attend in-person next summer, it appears that their chances will be exceptionally slim.
Trump has criticised Haiti previously, with NBC News reporting in 2018 that he referred to the island country as a 's**thole' in a meeting with what was described as 'a bi-partisan group of senators'.
According to BBC News at the time, the White House 'made no attempt to deny the comment' when approached.
In February 2025, Trump ended the Temporary Protection Status - granted to nationals of countries facing unsafe conditions - of over 500,000 Haitian people.
It was reported that the announcement meant they would lose work permits, potentially leaving them eligible for deportation.
They had held TPS since 2010, and Trump's announcement was met with criticism given that 5,600 people were reported to have been killed in Haiti in 2024 as a result of gang violence.
Topics: United States, Donald Trump, FIFA World Cup, Football
Ryan Smart