As Haiti's domestic league struggles, vacation teams draw players with cash and games

As Haiti's formal Haitian Football League (LHF) struggles with financial, administrative and instability challenges, amateur vacation teams are drawing players with better pay and more frequent matches, The Haitian Times reported on Oct. 9, 2026. Defensive midfielder James Céné, who plays for Ouanaminthe FC during the formal LHF season, fields balls in the summer for clubs including Pirates F.C. and F.C. Morina, describing a grueling pace that takes a physical toll. "We fall asleep on those motorcycle rides because we're so tired," he told the outlet, adding that "pills help us with the pain." According to the report, summer leagues began as recreational school-vacation competitions but have evolved into a lucrative parallel market, with players arriving in limousines, matching suits, VAR technology and cheerleaders. Organizers said the Mundialito in Gonaïves welcomes 24 teams, while the Interzone League of the Northwest has 15 clubs. Experts debate whether vacation teams should merge with the LHF. Former LHF coach John Sévère argued they should be integrated, while Jimmy Rémy, an LHF executive committee member, said it is "impossible" to place a vacation team in the top division. Observers tie the formal league's decline to gang violence and political instability intensifying around 2019.