Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-05 · by Dánica Coto The Associated Press
Story summary
In Santo Domingo on Thursday night, violent incidents erupted at the entrance of the Felix Sanchez Olympic Stadium during a football match between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Fans from both sides clashed, leading to gate damage and security issues that were captured on social media. In response, Dominican Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz announced a ban prohibiting Haiti’s national football team from playing in stadiums within the country. President Luis Abinader endorsed this decision, citing indiscipline as unacceptable behavior towards sports facilities funded by millions of pesos.
Following Haiti's victory with a score of 4-1, Haitian star player Wilson Isidor made controversial remarks declaring Hispaniola — the shared Caribbean island — to be solely Haitian. This statement exacerbated existing tensions between the two nations, prompting Cruz to declare that Dominican authorities would not allow future matches involving Haiti’s team within its borders due to crowd disturbances.
While Haiti’s embassy in Santo Domingo expressed gratitude for hosting the event and emphasized mutual respect between states, they distanced themselves from Isidor's comments as not reflecting official government stance. Meanwhile, CONCACAF received a formal complaint from the Dominican Soccer Federation regarding these incidents.
Written for “Haiti Dominican Republic Rift” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
It took six words after a soccer match to unleash racial, political and economic tensions that have long simmered between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
asserted
that → take → Haiti
“L’Hispaniola c’est Haiti!
asserted
Haiti → c’est → ?
This is Haiti!” star player Wilson Isidor shouted after helping Haiti beat the Dominican Republic 4-1 in Santo Domingo.
asserted
Haiti → shout → Domingo
Hispaniola is the Caribbean island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, two neighbors with a long and troubled history.
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Hispaniola → share → history
“We have very bad news for…Haiti’s team,” Dominican Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz said Friday as he announced that Haiti would no longer be allowed to play in the Dominican Republic.
asserted
Haiti → have → Republic
Reached Monday, he said only that he stood by his announcement.
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he → reach → announcement
Cruz did not mention Isidor or his remarks, but accused Haitian fans of damaging the stadium’s infrastructure.
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Cruz → mention → infrastructure
Dominican authorities also used pepper spray on Haitians as some peacefully streamed into the stadium for Thursday’s game, with some Dominicans blaming their government for not controlling the crowd.
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Dominicans → use → crowd
On Saturday, the Dominican Soccer Federation filed a formal complaint with CONCACAF, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Football Association, about what occurred on Thursday.
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what → file → Thursday
A CONCACAF spokesperson did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
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spokesperson → respond → comment
As the Dominican Republic prepares for its 2028 elections, presidential hopefuls have seized on the incident to promise an intensified crackdown on Haitian migrants, with one going as far as to say he would enslave them.
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he → prepare → them
Celebration ignites longtime tensions
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Celebration → ignite → tensions
The fallout from the game is the latest flashpoint to drive a wedge between the two countries that share a bloody history.
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that → drive → history
The game was played a day before the 89th anniversary of the Parsley Massacre, when Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo ordered the killing of thousands of Haitians along the shared border.
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Trujillo → play → border
One fan held up a sign Thursday in Haitian Creole that read, “A great tribute to those who fell on Oct. 2, 1937.
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who → hold → Oct.
Today this match is played in your memory.”
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match → play → memory
Isidor’s remarks about La Hispaniola being Haitian have gone viral, with social media users debating historical facts and wishing a good day to everyone “except the Haitians;” one person even compared Isidor’s comments to a German player giving a Nazi salute.
One video posted online and captioned “4-1” streams wealthy areas of the Dominican Republic above impoverished areas in Haiti.
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video → go → Haiti
The Haitian Soccer Federation said it supports its players and asserted that Isidor’s comments were “an expression of attachment” to his roots.
“This attachment to Haiti cannot...be interpreted as a sign of hostility or disrespect toward another people or nation,” it said.
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it → say → people
“Sporting rivalry, however intense, must never make us lose sight of the mutual respect that should unite players, fans, and nations.”
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that → make → players
One person on X noted that the comments by Isidor, who was born in France, are similar to the “Ici c’est Paris” chant by Paris Saint-Germain fans, even during away games: “No one thinks they’re reclaiming territory.”
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they → note → territory
Ex beauty queen calls for retraction
Garry Jean-Pierre saw the game at his home in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital.
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Pierre → see → Prince
He doesn’t believe Isidor’s comments were political but was not surprised by the Dominican government’s response.
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comments → believe → response
“We understand why they did it.
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they → understand → it
They were humiliated at home in front of their supporters,” he said.
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he → humiliate → supporters
Haiti and the Dominican Republic each finished with nine points in League A of CONCACAF’s Nations League tournament, but only Haiti advanced to the quarterfinals because of best goal differential.
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Haiti → finish → differential
André Joseph, a 20-year-old accounting student in Port-au-Prince, said he expected post-match fallout: “There’s always going to be a war between the Haitians and the Dominicans because of the way the Dominicans treat the Haitians.”
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Dominicans → say → Haitians
The Dominican Republic has long been criticized for arresting and deporting people born there who are of Haitian ancestry; for leaving them stateless; and for the way immigrants are treated when they’re detained.
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they → criticize → way
Dominican officials have said the country cannot sustain the increasing number of immigrants fleeing Haiti’s poverty and violence.
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country → say → poverty
Joseph and other Haitian soccer fans have called on their government to ensure the team has a place to train and play in Haiti.
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team → call → Haiti
The main stadium in Port-au-Prince and a nearby training facility has been overrun by gangs that control an estimated 70% of the capital.
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that → overrun → capital
Haiti’s home matches leading up to the World Cup had to be played elsewhere, with Haiti qualifying for the first time since 1974.
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Haiti → lead → 1974
Haitian content creator Windy Phele wrote on X that Haitian politicians have left them greatly dependent on the Dominican Republic.
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politicians → write → Republic
“Dominicans have every reason to be proud of their country, whereas I personally don’t see any reason today to say I’m proud of Haiti,” he wrote on X. “We should fight to create the conditions so the national team can stop playing away from home.
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team → have → home
Joining the debate was Sarodj Bertin, a lawyer and former beauty queen who was born in Haiti but was sent to the Dominican Republic after her mother was killed.
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mother → join → Republic
She posted a video in Spanish and French asserting that people must respect their neighbors to earn respect.
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people → post → respect
Bertin called on Isidor to retract his “inappropriate” comments, at least for his “brothers,” if not for his country.
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Bertin → call → country
“In the end,” she said, “those who are going to suffer are the Haitians who live in the Dominican Republic.”
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who → say → Republic
_
Associated Press reporters Evens Sanon in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and Martín Adames in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic contributed to this story.
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Sanon → contribute → story
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