Haiti is returning to the FIFA World Cup after 52 years, and Josué Duverger's story is particularly inspiring.
This Caribbean nation, one of the poorest in the world according to World Bank data, has once again qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Haiti is embarking on its second FIFA World Cup journey in history, and all of this is happening in a grim environment where the country is deeply entrenched in the control of armed gangs. The situation further deteriorated after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. How serious is the situation? The Haitian national team has had to arrange its home games at the Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad, Curaçao.
However, against this backdrop, there is still hope. 26-year-old Josué Duverger is the best example, serving as Haiti's third goalkeeper. This goalkeeper, playing for FC Cosmos in Germany, will ascend from the German fifth-tier league to the FIFA World Cup stage, from muddy paths to the world's biggest arena. He has never played in a fully professional league before.
Born in Canada, raised in Portugal
Duverger was born in Montreal, Canada, and grew up in the Portuguese youth training system. At 17, he chose to represent Haiti and has now received a huge and probably unexpected gift. Whether he will play is another matter. As things stand, he is only the team's third goalkeeper.
It is expected that Sébastien Migné will prioritize SC Bastia goalkeeper Johny Placide, and as a second choice, Alexandre Pierre from Ligue 2 Sochaux. But no one can say for sure. As people often say, opportunities often come when least expected.
Unless there's an upset, he will be the only player from a fifth-tier league participating in this FIFA World Cup. This statistic alone summarizes his journey. Duverger went from German amateur football all the way to the world's biggest stage; from Cosmos Koblenz to the FIFA World Cup. His experience perfectly illustrates that there are many paths to reach the same goal. Some take the highway, driving luxury cars; others can only take muddy country roads, constantly having to stop and fix their cars. Duverger belongs to the latter.
A major mistake against Canada
Duverger once came into the media spotlight due to a serious error. That was on June 15, 2021, in a match between Haiti and Canada. That was also the country of his birth, and the match was part of the CONCACAF FIFA World Cup qualifiers, aiming for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He produced one of the most talked-about own goals in recent years.
After receiving a back pass, Duverger failed to control the ball properly. Although he still had time to adjust, his subsequent two clearances were unsuccessful, eventually knocking the ball into his own net. Canada broke the deadlock with this goal, eventually beating Haiti 3-0, directly eliminating them from the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Beyond names like Yamal, Haaland, Mbappe, Messi, and Ronaldo, the world also hides stories like Duverger's. This is the purest essence of the FIFA World Cup. Early this morning, Haiti will play Scotland in Boston, with kick-off at 03:00 Beijing time (CEST). Will Duverger get his chance?