Paterson native Derrick Etienne Jr.'s World Cup appearance fills community with pride

As World Cup watch parties took place all over the Tri-State Area on Friday, the community of Paterson, New Jersey, gathered to root on one of their own.

Derrick Etienne Jr., who was born and raised in Paterson, hit the field in Philadelphia, representing Haiti in its match against Brazil.

A massive watch party was held at Hinchliffe Stadium, where family and friends were beaming with pride.

Etienne, 29, developed his passion for the game while practicing on local fields, where he eventually went pro. He's been a source of pride for the city ever since.

"I hope the Brazilian fans understand we got to root for one of our own. He's part of the home team," Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh said.

His World Cup appearance is part of a extraordinary family legacy; his sister Danielle also played for the Haitian national team in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, and his father and uncle also represented Haiti internationally.

"Words cannot describe it ... I was born in '74, the last time that Haiti qualified, the only time we qualified for the World Cup," uncle Darrell Etienne said. "So my whole life, we were just wondering every four years – are we gonna make it? No. Are we gonna make it?"

"I think it talks to the resilience of our culture, you know," one fan said. "Local grown, and someone who has heart, desire and grit. He's going after his dreams."

Derrick Etienne Jr. is not only inspiring local youth with his World Cup debut, but also giving back to his community all year-round with a soccer school.

"We want to introduce the same training that we've done with Derrick, Danielle ... all of our kids, the same training we've given to so many different people, we give it to Paterson for free," Darrell Etienne said.

Sadly, Haiti was the first team eliminated from the World Cup after losing to Brazil, 3-0, but win or lose, the Paterson community couldn't be more proud.