Haiti co-captain Ricardo Adé carries nation’s World Cup dream 52 years in the making

PHILADELPHIA - Before Ricardo Adé became one of the faces of Haiti’s long-awaited return to the World Cup, he was a kid in Saint-Marc with a dream that sounded almost impossible.

He wanted to play in a World Cup for Haiti.

He wanted to captain his country.

He wanted to help bring Haiti back to a stage it had not reached since 1974.

Now, more than 50 years later, Adé is preparing to do all of it.

What we know:

Ricardo Adé is a center back for Haiti and one of the national team’s co-captains as the country prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Haiti is returning to the tournament for the first time since 1974, with Group C matches scheduled against Scotland in Boston, Brazil in Philadelphia and Morocco in Atlanta.

For Adé, the moment is deeply personal.

"Honestly, this is a dream come true," Adé said in an interview with FOX 29's Tyler Thrasher. "When I was a little kid, that was my dream. I always said I wanted to play in the World Cup with Haiti."

Adé said he grew up hearing about Haiti’s 1974 World Cup team and wondering why his generation could not do the same.

"I wanted to be a captain," Adé said. "I wanted to help my country play in a World Cup. Growing up in Haiti, I always heard about 1974 and Haiti making the World Cup. I thought, why not us? Why can’t my generation make it to the World Cup?"

Where Haiti will play

Haiti’s World Cup schedule:

Haiti vs. Scotland
June 13
Boston Stadium

Brazil vs. Haiti
June 19
Philadelphia Stadium

Morocco vs. Haiti
June 24
Atlanta Stadium

Adé enters the World Cup as one of Haiti’s co-captains and a key part of the team’s back line under French head coach Sébastien Migné.

The road to this moment

Adé was born and raised in Saint-Marc, Haiti, and now plays center back for LDU Quito in Ecuador. But his path to becoming one of Haiti’s World Cup co-captains did not come quickly.

He played for Haiti in the Gold Cup in his early 20s, then went to Thailand while trying to find a team and build a career outside the country. Adé said that period was difficult, but it also became part of the motivation that pushed him forward.

His path later brought him to Miami, where Sunday league soccer helped open another door.

"Everything started when I came here to play Sunday league," Adé said. "There’s a league called Marugus, and it’s really built around the Haitian community."

Adé said he played for Saint-Marc in the league, and that is where someone connected him with Miami United.

"I went for it because in Haiti it is very difficult to have video," Adé said. "When teams ask about you, the first thing they ask for is video. When you’re playing in Haiti, it’s difficult because you don’t always have video."

That opportunity gave Adé something he said had been hard to get in Haiti: video of his play. From there, he was able to build highlights and keep moving his career forward.

His publicist, Erica Dumas, described Adé’s path as a long climb toward this World Cup moment.

"From being stranded in Thailand to Miami, Chile, and now becoming a star in Ecuador—Ricardo's journey has been nothing short of remarkable and seeing him represent Haiti on the world stage is the moment we always knew was coming," Dumas said.

Representing Haiti

Adé said the difficult parts of his journey shaped him as a player and leader.

He said his time in Thailand was the first time he experienced racism, and he learned to turn those painful moments into motivation.

"Those moments gave me the power I have today," Adé said. "They helped me stay focused."

Adé said those experiences also shaped the way he sees leadership.

"When things like that happen to you, they give you strength," Adé said. "They give you power and motivation. You take that and use it as something that helps you go through life."

FIFA previously interviewed Adé about Haiti’s qualification and reported that the national team had to play its home qualifiers in Curaçao because of instability in Haiti. Adé told FIFA that football can bring joy to people who have suffered, and said Haiti knows what it represents on the world stage.

Adé echoed that message in his FOX Local interview.

"We can be the face of the country and do something good for the country," Adé said. "I know people over there are not doing so well, but for now, with us playing in the World Cup and doing well, this is happiness for the people."

Local perspective:

Haiti’s World Cup run will carry special meaning in Philadelphia, where the team will face Brazil on June 19.

Adé said he knows Haitian fans have been waiting decades for this moment.

"I know they are waiting for this moment," Adé said. "It has been more than 50 years since Haiti played in the World Cup."

He said the connection between the players on the field and the Haitian community in the stands matters because the team is representing more than itself.

"The best thing is that we represent the country and the flag," Adé said. "I think they are very happy."

Adé expects Haitian fans to show up for the team, including in Philadelphia.

"They're going to be at the game," he said. "Our job on the field is to do our best and represent the country."

The Brazil matchup

Haiti’s match against Brazil in Philadelphia carries another layer of meaning.

Adé said many Haitians grew up cheering for Brazil because Haiti had not been in the World Cup for decades.

"Growing up in Haiti, people were always cheering for Brazil," Adé said.

But this year, Haiti is not watching from the outside. Haiti is in the tournament, and one of its biggest games will come against the team many Haitian fans once adopted as their own.

"This year is going to be different because we are going to be representing Haiti," Adé said.

He expects Haitian fans to be behind their own team when Haiti faces Brazil.

"I think when we play Brazil, Haitians are going to be cheering for us," Adé said. "They believe in the team."

Adé said Haiti will not treat the matchup like an impossible task.

"At the end of the day, it’s 11 against 11, so anything can happen," he said.

Why Ecuador shaped his game

Adé currently plays for LDU Quito in Ecuador, where he said the league’s physical style helped him feel at home as a center back.

Ecuador has earned attention for its defensive core, with center backs Piero Hincapié and Willian Pacho anchoring the back line and Moisés Caicedo providing protection in defensive midfield.

"When I got to Ecuador, I realized this was my place," Adé said. "That is the kind of football I play — physical."

Adé said he has watched Ecuador continue to produce strong defenders and believes the country’s soccer future is only getting bigger.

"Every year, there are two or three guys moving on to bigger clubs," Adé said. "I think in five or 10 years, Ecuador is going to be massive."

What's next:

Adé said Haiti is focused on preparation before stepping onto one of the biggest stages in sports.

"We are preparing and getting ready," Adé said. "We know it is going to be a big stage, so we have to be ready for that."

For Adé, the message to Haitian fans is simple: the players know what this moment means.

"We're going to try to do our best," Adé said. "We're going to try to represent the country well."

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