The United States will face a fellow 2026 World Cup participant in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Nations League.
After finishing second in the July 20, 2026 Concacaf rankings, the USMNT went into the fall knowing it would play the best-performing runner-up of the two Concacaf Nations League A groups. Haiti won its first three matches but finished second in Group A after falling to Costa Rica 2-0 on Sunday, Oct. 4. Results elsewhere mean Les Grenadiers are locked into the spot to face the Stars and Stripes.
The two-legged tie will determine not only who moves into the Concacaf Nations League semifinals, but also draws out teams' path to the Gold Cup. The winner of the series qualifies automatically for the continental championship taking place
in the summer of 2027, while the loser would have to participate in the Gold Cup prelims – needing to win a two-legged series in March 2027 to make the tournament.
The U.S. has made all 18 Gold Cup tournaments since the current name and format was launched in 1991, though it typically has not needed to go through qualification. Haiti has been to 10 of those tournaments, including the last four.
After failing to reach the knockout round of the 2026 World Cup, Haiti moved on from manager Sebastien Migne, bringing in Spain native David Badia.
Already qualified for the quarterfinals, the U.S. used the September-October window to play friendly matches. A young American squad beat Peru, Chile and rival Mexico and is preparing for an Oct. 6 friendly against Canada.
Where will the USMNT play Haiti in Nations League?
Haiti hasn't hosted matches on home soil since 2021 because of the ongoing political crisis and gang violence in the country.It has hosted games at various neutral sites throughout the Caribbean.
Haiti used Curacao as its base during a successful 2026 World Cup qualification campaign but most recently hosted matches in Kingston, Jamaica.
Les Grenadiers were well-supported at the 2026 World Cup, playing matches in Boston, Philadelphia and Atlanta, and also were greeted by huge crowds for pre-tournament friendly matches in South Florida, which is home to a large Haitian diaspora.
Messages to the Haitian federation and to Concacaf seeking more information about where it would host the U.S. were not immediately returned.
The U.S. will play the second leg in Cincinnati on Nov. 17.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USMNT set to face Haiti in November's Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals
