Melrose High School soccer alum representing Haiti in World Cup – NBC Boston

A Massachusetts soccer player is getting ready to play for Haiti in the World Cup after helping the team qualify for the tournament for the first time in 52 years.

Frantzdy Pierrot, who played at Melrose High School, moved from Haiti to Massachusetts when he was 11.

"Me playing my first game in Boston means a lot to me," Pierrot told NBC10 Boston. "It's like a second World Cup."

Growing up in Haiti, Pierrot said life often felt uncertain. He said the love from his parents and his passion for soccer gave him stability while he spent his childhood playing soccer with few resources.

Several Massachusetts communities planning watch parties are still waiting for approval from FIFA to show the matches publicly.

"You just play on the streets, and our toes would be bleeding because we'd be kicking rocks," Pierrot said. "So when I finally got here, I was about to wear shoes, or like, seeing the soccer ball, I was like 'wow.'"

Pierrot joined youth sports in Medford before playing soccer at Melrose High School, where he met coach Dean Serino.

"He's the first one that was like, 'You got something special,'" Pierrot said. "Just him saying that to me made me believe that I can actually do anything."

Serino said Pierrot's determination separated him from other players.

"It was his determination that you knew he was going to be great. I knew he was. He was bound for great things, I just didn't know this great," Serino said.

World Cup viewers in the U.S. have their choice of watching games in English or Spanish, and studies show that some English speakers choose Spanish.

Pierrot went on to play at Northeastern University before turning professional. At 31, he now plays soccer in Europe and led Haiti to the World Cup after scoring a qualifying goal against Costa Rica last year.

"I know that I'm giving a lot of people in my country hope," Pierrot said.

He added that he wanted the people who helped him throughout his journey to feel proud as they watched him compete at the highest level.

"They're all going to be witnessing me playing on one of the biggest stages, and they can say, 'This kid, I helped him,'" Pierrot said.

Haiti will face Scotland on June 13 at Boston Stadium. Pierrot will be recognized by Gov. Maura Healey in a proclamation on Tuesday.