PORT-AU-PRINCE — Woodensky Pierre, the only member of Haiti’s national soccer team based in Haiti, continues to train in Port-au-Prince while awaiting U.S. visa approval to join his teammates in Florida for 2026 World Cup preparations. Pierre, a defensive midfielder for Violette AC, trains on a synthetic grass field in Pétion-Ville, an upscale area of the capital, as violence affects much of the city.

U.S. visas for Pierre and nearly a dozen other officials with the Haitian soccer federation have not yet been approved, even as the rest of the squad has assembled in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Officials arrived in Florida on Sunday, and players began training on Tuesday. Three additional players are scheduled to arrive Wednesday, according to Haitian soccer federation spokesman Thecieux Jeanty.

Pierre hails from Cite Soleil, a seaside slum in Port-au-Prince that has endured years of gang violence and hunger. Recent clashes there displaced more than 5,300 people, according to the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration. About 70% of Port-au-Prince is controlled by violent gangs, conditions that forced Haiti to host its World Cup qualifiers in Curaçao after its home stadium was deemed too dangerous.

The 2026 World Cup will mark Haiti’s second appearance in the tournament, following its only previous participation in 1974. Unlike that era—when all but one of the squad’s players lived and played in Haiti—today’s 26-man roster is almost entirely based abroad, with players competing in England, France, Portugal, Canada, and the United States.

“In hopes of being with his team as soon as possible,” Jeanty said, referring to Pierre. He added, “I hope he doesn’t have to live in (Haiti) after the World Cup. It’s an opportunity to present himself to the world and await a contract.”

Haiti is scheduled to play warmup matches against New Zealand on Tuesday and Peru on June 5 in South Florida before opening World Cup play on June 13 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, against Scotland. Pierre and the team’s coach did not return messages seeking comment.