Haiti have been forced to alter their official jerseys on the eve of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after football's governing body ruled that elements of the design could be interpreted as political.
The Caribbean nation will wear the modified kits when they begin their World Cup campaign against Scotland on Saturday.
The controversy centres on artwork featured on the lower right side of the jersey, which depicted silhouettes inspired by the Battle of Vertières and the Haitian Revolution, the uprising that ended French colonial rule and led to Haiti becoming the world's first free Black republic.
Kit manufacturer Saeta said it had worked closely with FIFA and the Haitian Football Federation throughout the approval process and had complied with the changes requested by the governing body.
"Working in close collaboration with the Haitian Football Federation, our objective throughout the process was to create a jersey that celebrated the pride, resilience and spirit of the Haitian people," the company said in a statement.
"Several concepts were developed and refined over a number of months and submitted through FIFA's standard approval process. The final design presented by Saeta was intended as a tribute to the men and women who contribute every day to Haiti's future and was not intended as a political statement."
According to the company, FIFA concluded during its review that some of the visual elements could be interpreted differently under its equipment regulations and requested modifications before approving the shirts for use at the tournament.
"While this interpretation differed from our intention, Saeta respected the process and implemented the final requirements communicated by FIFA," the statement added.
The jerseys, produced in blue, white and red, feature Haiti's national team crest at the centre of the shirt.
The disputed imagery references the Battle of Vertières, fought in 1803, a decisive victory that secured Haiti's independence from France. Revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines later removed the white stripe from the French tricolour to create Haiti's national flag, a symbol that is celebrated annually on May 18 as Haitian Flag Day.
Despite the late changes, Saeta said it remained proud to have partnered with the Haitian Football Federation on what it described as a historic moment for Haitian football and wished the team every success at the World Cup.
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