Naples soccer star Niko Pierre leads Haiti in U20 World Cup chase

NAPLES, Fla. — Niko Pierre grew up playing soccer on the fields of Naples. Now, the 18-year-old striker is leading Haiti’s U-20 national team into one of the biggest tournaments of his young career.

Pierre is in Mexico for the Concacaf U-20 Championship, where Haiti is competing for one of four spots in the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Haiti opens tournament play against the United States on Saturday.

The opportunity to represent Haiti has brought immediate results for Pierre.

“Every time I play with them, it feels like I’m playing with my brothers,” Pierre said. “I’ve scored a lot of goals. I’ve scored seven goals in eight games now, so I’m doing pretty well with them.”

Pierre’s soccer foundation was built in Naples, where he played for Azzurri Storm and trained at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex.

But the national team call-up gave Pierre something the game had not provided before, a personal connection to the country his family comes from.

“It’s amazing, honestly,” Pierre said. “I think it’s now a huge part of who I am. I feel that I’m more of a whole person now than I was before because I’ve kind of tapped into that side of myself.”

That growth has happened alongside Pierre’s rise as a player. Each goal has strengthened his place within the squad, while every camp and match has made Haiti feel less distant.

The jersey now links the player Pierre became in Naples with a heritage he is still learning to embrace.

“When I play for Haiti, it feels like something bigger, you know, part of something bigger,” Pierre said. “We’re playing for a country. We all have the same blood flowing through us. It’s less about the individual, more about the collective.”

Pierre now has the chance to help Haiti reach the U-20 World Cup, carrying the country’s colors on an international stage while continuing to discover what they mean to him.