Former ISL & Kerala Blasters star Duckens Nazon is heading to FIFA World Cup 2026 with Haiti

FIFA World Cup 2026 will begin on 11th June!

The biggest festival of football, the FIFA World Cup, is less than a month away, with all the entertainment and hype building up.

With 48 teams set to participate in this year’s FIFA World Cup, India still couldn’t qualify for the tournament. However, there is still a connection to India at this year’s FIFA World Cup, not in terms of nationality, but through a player who has previously played in Indian Super League (ISL).

Over the years, the ISL has seen several FIFA World Cup legends be a part of the league, from Alessandro Del Piero to Diego Forlan.

In this article, we take a look at the former ISL player who will be playing in the FIFA World Cup 2026, along with the name that nearly missed out on the opportunity and both of them have a Kerala connection.

Duckens Nazon will represent Haiti in the FIFA World Cup 2026

Former Kerala Blasters FC player Duckens Nazon is all set to play the FIFA World Cup 2026 representing Haiti national football team. The 31-year-old forward played a crucial role in helping Haiti qualify for their first FIFA World Cup since 1974. Duckens Nazon is Haiti’s all-time leading goalscorer, with 44 goals in 76 appearances, and the former Kerala Blasters FC striker will look to start in his country’s first FIFA World Cup match in 52 years against the Scotland national football team.

The forward joined Kerala Blasters FC in September 2016 and made 13 appearances for the club, scoring twice before later moving to English side Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.

Having scored 101 career goals across clubs and county, Nazon will be eager to make his mark at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Haiti look to create history on football’s biggest stage.

Also Read: Haiti announce official 2026 FIFA World Cup squad 

A player who came very close

A former ISL player who came very close to qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026 is Ivan Kalyuzhnyi. The 28-year-old Ukrainian midfielder played for Kerala Blasters FC during the ISL 2022-23 season.

The former Kerala Blasters FC midfielder debuted for the Ukraine national football team in 2024 and has been a strong part of their setup ever since. Ivan has 14 national team caps for Ukraine and even featured in the recent qualification run.

Ukraine came heartbreakingly close to qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026. After finishing second in their UEFA qualifying group just behind France, they entered the play-offs with hopes of returning to football’s biggest stage, the FIFA World Cup. However, their dream came to an end after a narrow defeat to Sweden in the play-off semi-final.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.