With less than two weeks remaining until the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off, Haiti’s national men’s football team, the Grenadiers, delivered a dominant performance to secure a lopsided 4-0 victory over New Zealand’s All Whites (commonly nicknamed the Kiwis) in a pre-tournament friendly hosted at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on June 2, 2026.
Heading into the contest, the two sides entered with closely matched FIFA rankings: Haiti sat at 83rd globally, while New Zealand trailed just two spots behind at 85th, setting expectations for a tightly contested matchup. What unfolded instead was a masterclass in tactical substitution and attacking finishing from head coach Sébastien Migné’s side, which sent a clear signal of the Grenadiers’ form ahead of their first World Cup match.
Haiti got off to a flying start in the opening half. In the 12th minute, a well-placed pass from starting striker Wilson Isidor found winger Ruben Providence, who fired a precise shot past New Zealand’s goalkeeper to put the Grenadiers up 1-0. Haiti held onto their narrow lead through the end of the first half, with no additional goals scored before the halftime whistle.
Migné, who had planned to use the friendly to test the depth of his 2026 World Cup squad, made an unprecedented 11 total substitutions throughout the match, a strategic choice that paid off dramatically. The first change came at the break, when backup goalkeeper Alexandre Pierre replaced starter Johny Placide between the posts. Immediately following halftime restart, Migné made two key attacking changes: Lenny Joseph came on for Isidor, while Frantzdy Pierrot replaced starting forward Duckens Nazon.
The substitutes made an instant impact. Just four minutes after entering the pitch, Joseph netted his first goal of the night, extending Haiti’s lead to 2-0 in the 51st minute. Ten minutes later, in the 62nd minute, full-back Carlens Arcus delivered a perfect setup for Pierrot, who slotted the ball home to make the score 3-0.
Migné continued to rotate his squad through the second half, making seven more substitutions between the 57th and 72nd minute to give every member of his matchday squad game time. Among those late substitutions was winger Duke Lacroix, who replaced midfielder Martin Expérience in the 68th minute. With just three minutes left in regular play, Lacroix capped off the rout with a fourth goal for Haiti, solidifying the 4-0 final scoreline.
The lopsided result comes as a major confidence boost for Haiti ahead of their 2026 World Cup campaign, which runs from June 11 to July 19. The Grenadiers are not done with their pre-tournament preparation, however: they are scheduled to face 53rd-ranked Peru in their final friendly on June 5, 2026 at DRV PNK Stadium in Miami, Florida. Fans can find the full official squad list for Haiti’s 2026 World Cup roster via the HaitiLibre news portal.