The national teams of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, who are tied on points in Group A, will face off in a merciless duel on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 8 PM (Port-au-Prince time) at the Estadio Olimpico Félix Sanchez during the group stage of the Concacaf Nations League. The match will be sold out. This very important clash could shape the future of the two countries in their quest for direct qualification for the 2027 Gold Cup.<\/p>

Thirteen years since their last encounter on March 24, 2013, where the Dominican Republic secured a surprising 3-1 victory in San Cristobal during a friendly, Haitians and Dominicans will clash in a match of paramount importance for both countries, who are fighting for a qualifying spot in the quarter-finals of the Concacaf Nations League.<\/p>

For the first time in 50 years (the first match between the two countries dates back to April 2, 1976, in Santo Domingo, where the Grenadiers won 3-0 in the group stage of the Caribbean Nations Cup), Haiti, which recently participated in the World Cup and boasts a record of 9 wins, 2 draws, and 32 goals in twelve matches against them, does not have a certainty of victory since the Dominicans have a plentiful squad and will not present themselves as sacrificial victims. <\/p>

Los Quisqueyanos Following in the Footsteps of the Grenadiers<\/strong><\/p>

The football authorities in the Dominican Republic, aiming to compete with the major footballing nations in the region, have adopted Haiti's successful strategy by attracting dual nationals playing in top clubs across Europe. In this small exercise, they have managed to bring in Pablo Rosario, the FC Porto midfielder; Peter Federico, the forward trained at Real Madrid and who has played for Getafe, currently competing in Poland with Górnik Zabrze; Juan Carlos Pineda, striker for Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova); Dorny Romero (28 goals), the active top scorer in the country playing for Club Bolivar in Bolivia; Junior Firpo (Leeds United) as well as Mariano Diaz, the most well-known of all, a former player of Real Madrid CF and Olympique Lyonnais, who is currently shining for Deportivo Alaves in La Liga.

The name behind the Dominican success is none other than Argentine, Gabriel Marcelo Neveleff. He took charge of the Dominican national team in January 2023 and activated the country to recruit dual nationals from its European and American diaspora to transform the team into a serious contender within the Concacaf region.<\/p>

The Quisqueyanos, who have long played in League B, have ascended to League A for the first time in their history, competing thereafter in the 2025 Gold Cup team: defeated by Mexico 3-2 and Costa Rica 2-1 before drawing with Suriname 0-0. A great first for the Dominican football team.<\/p>

After defeating Nicaragua 4-1 and Trinidad 2-1, the Dominican Republic, which shares the leadership of Group A with Haiti and Curaçao, has solid arguments to pursue a qualifying spot for the quarter-finals of the Concacaf Nations League.<\/p>

What About the Grenadiers?<\/strong><\/p>

Since their qualification for the 2026 World Cup, Haiti has instilled fear in the larger footballing nations of the region. The Dominican Republic is not far behind. Despite the absence of some key players and the arrival of David Badia, the Grenadiers have shown composure to overcome Trinidad and Tobago 3-2 and Costa Rica 2-0. Undoubtedly, the Haitians, already present on Dominican soil since Tuesday, September 29, are well-positioned to assert their rank in the hierarchy of regional football.<\/p>

"For this very important match, we will arrive with all our ambition and a great desire to impose ourselves," said David Badia at the pre-match press conference, while emphasizing that it will be a match that will not be easy for either country. <\/p>

History of Head-to-Head Encounters Between Haiti and the Dominican Republic<\/strong><\/p>

The two countries first faced each other on April 14, 1976, in Port-au-Prince, with Haiti winning 3-0 in the group stage of the Caribbean Nations Cup. In the same competition on March 5, 1991, in San Juan (Puerto Rico), the two countries drew 1-1. On March 10, 1994, in Santo Domingo, the Grenadiers secured a narrow victory of 0-1 before winning 6-0 in Port-au-Prince on April 26, 1996, and drawing 1-1 on April 28 of that same year. Two emphatic victories: March 15, 1998, in Port-au-Prince 5-0 and March 19, 1999, in Port-au-Prince 4-0, also symbolize the dominance the Grenadiers have in their encounters against the Quisqueyanos. In 2006, for the first time, the two countries played two friendly matches. On September 15, in Saint-Marc, Haiti won 3-1 and on September 17, in Port-au-Prince, the result was 2-1 in favor of Haiti. The last official match between the two countries was on December 9, 2012, in Saint John’s (Antigua and Barbuda), with Haiti winning 2-1. To find a victory for the Dominicans against the Haitians, one must go back to March 24, 2013, in San Cristobal: 3-1. Charles Hérold Jr, via a penalty, scored the only goal for Haiti's reserve team, as on the same day they had beaten Oman 1-0 in a friendly, with a goal from Monuma Constant Jr.