FIFA

For 90 minutes, Brazil and Haiti will do battle to try to make it out of Group C at the FIFA World Cup 2026 this morning (6.30am, Bangladesh Time). Yet the teams meeting in Philadelphia share a bond that goes far beyond football and transcends any form of competition.

Haitians have never forgotten that Brazil extended them a helping hand 22 years ago, when the Caribbean nation was going through a turbulent period marked by armed groups fighting for power.

Brazil was leading the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country, which saw them bring over the Selecao team that had lifted their fifth FIFA World Cup trophy just two years earlier.

Played on 18 August 2004, the fixture became known as the ‘Match for Peace’ and remains a significant event in Haitian football history.

“I remember Ronaldo saying that the team had not received the level of affection they were getting from the Haitian people during the celebrations across Brazil after winning the World Cup,” former Brazil midfielder Roger told FIFA. The result – a 6-0 win for Brazil – was almost irrelevant compared to the joy felt by the local population at seeing some of the world’s greatest players in person. One of the most iconic images from Brazil’s visit to Haiti was the journey from the airport to the centre of Port-au-Prince. The players travelled around 15 kilometres atop Urutu armoured vehicles belonging to the Brazilian Army, receiving a hero’s welcome from an estimated one million Haitians lining the streets.

Seven members of Brazil’s World Cup-winning squad featured in the friendly: Juliano Belletti, Juan, Roque Junior, Roberto Carlos, Gilberto Silva, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who travelled with the delegation, urged the team to adopt a diplomatic approach and avoid overwhelming the hosts with a heavy defeat. Despite the appeal, Brazil scored six times -- three goals from Ronaldinho, two from Roger and one from Nilmar.

Around 15,000 people attended the match at Stade Sylvio Cator.