Duckens Nazon, a 32-year-old striker for Iran's Esteghlal, was ordered off a departing aircraft when Israeli-US strikes began. His family—wife from Morocco, four children—remained safe in France, where Nazon was born. But he faced an ordeal escaping alone.
Stuck at the Iran-Azerbaijan border for 48 hours after being turned back by officials, Nazon relied on a critical decision made before the conflict: he had purchased an eSIM card. When Iran shut down internet access, that device kept him connected to the outside world and to his family, enabling him to coordinate his journey forward.
Nazon is Haiti's all-time leading goal-scorer with 44 goals in 78 appearances. He will be central to Haiti's attack in their group-stage matches against Scotland, Morocco and Brazil—Haiti's first World Cup since 1974.
The striker's dramatic survival just weeks before the tournament adds profound personal context to his performances. Haiti returns to the World Cup for the first time in 52 years, and Nazon—who watched bombs fall 100 metres away days earlier—brings a story of resilience beyond football.
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