Why does the Haiti national team have a Polish flag on their jerseys? The story behind the symbol design
Relationships between the two nations date back to the early 19th Century. But the Polish flag claim is just a myth.
Most of the 48 nations taking part at this summer’s World Cup have released limited edition jerseys to commemorate the event. Observant soccer fans will have noticed something different about the shirt which Haiti will be wearing during their second appearance at the tournament - and their first since 1974.
Manufactured by sportswear firm Saeta, the 2026 jersey features an illustration of figures from the Haitian Revolution - two of them holding a flag.
Some have claimed that the design could be a nod to the involvement of Polish legionnaires in the Haitian Revolution and link it to a key moment on the island’s history.
Polish legionnaires in Napoleon’s army
Until 1804, Haiti was under French rule. At the height of the uprising, French emperor Napoleon deployed an army of 20,000 soldiers in an attempt to reassert control. A significant part of the French expedition was made up of members of the Polish Legions - around 5,000 soldiers.
A fifth of the Polish fighters died either in combat or from disease and most of the survivors returned to Europe. A few remained and defected to form the Vistula Legion, which fought with Napoleon’s army until 1815.
A Polish community, descendants of the brave legionnaires, remains in Haiti to this day. Which leads us back to the illustration on Haiti’s 2026 World Cup shirt.
Polish flag or Haitian flag?
It is claimed that the flag shown is the Polish flag and the figures are legionnaires who refused to fight Haitian slaves. It’s a fanciful story - the flag is actually Haiti’s, adopted in 1803, which consists of two bands - blue and red.
As Haiti’s home jersey is royal blue, the top part of the flag has been lightened to make it more visible. This is even more evident in the second strip which is white and the third strip which is red.
It is clearly the Haitian flag rendered in the national colors - for design aesthetics pale blue has been used instead of royal blue. So while the Polish flag theory may be far more intriguing, it’s just a myth, not the truth.
Haiti begin their 2026 World Cup campaign later today, facing Scotland at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
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