Haiti teen sensation Dumornay makes WWC stage her own

Anna Harrington | July 24, 2023

Melchie Dumornay has just run rings around some of the best footballers in the world. She’s 19.

More than 44,000 people packed into Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night, with most there to watch England open their campaign against debutants Haiti.

Most would have left talking about Haiti’s teen sensation, who starred as the world No.53 took it up to the European champions in a brave 1-0 defeat.

“(I was) a little bit nervous about the game but after I was like, ‘Just take a nap’,” she told reporters. 

“But we have the same field and all the girls work to be here. 

“That’s why I just stay natural and play my game.”

The prodigiously talented attacker, recently signed by French powerhouse Lyon, tore Chile apart in the Cup qualifying play-off and picked up where she left off against England.

Dumornay created chances at will and came desperately close to scoring in the second half when she dispossessed Lucy Bronze, burst forward and ripped a long-range strike barely denied by Mary Earps.

“For me it’s always a challenge to play against the best players, best midfielders, so I can challenge myself and to see if I move on, if I progress on my game,” she said.

“I just hope (people) learned we never give up on the field.

“Even when we are in difficulty on the field, even when we can’t have the ball, we just stay together because we know together we can do a lot.”

Dumornay didn’t have any family on hand in Brisbane but expected lots of people to be watching on in Haiti.

The small country is in an ongoing humanitarian crisis, compounded by recent flash floods and an earthquake.

“It’s an honour for all my teammates here and for all the country,” she said. 

“I know they are really, really proud of us and they will always support us. 

“We know they have a lot of frustration. So we’re going to to make them happy for the next two games.”

Asked whether she believed Haiti could make it out of the group, Dumornay said: “Of course.”

“We came here to move and to go so far in the World Cup (until) we can’t anymore,” she said.

“You come here not to play only three games.

“If we can do that against like England, we can do anything against anyone.”