As the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil draws near, Haiti’s national women’s football team, the Grenadières, continued their pre-tournament preparation with a high-profile friendly against 15th-ranked Australia’s Matildas on October 13, 2026, hosted at Stade Walter-Luzi in Chambly, France. Ranked 47th globally, Haiti entered the match fielding the same starting XI that head coach Pia Sundhage selected for their prior friendly against Japan, resulting in a lopsided 7-1 defeat for the Caribbean side.
The match delivered a fast-paced opening that set the tone for the entire 90 minutes. Just 60 seconds into play, Australia’s Leticia McKenna broke the deadlock: after a pinpoint cross from Clare Wheeler, McKenna hit a right-footed strike from the center of the penalty box that curved into the top-left corner, putting the Matildas up 1-0. Before Haiti could settle into the match, the Grenadières struck back immediately a minute later. Star midfielder Melchie “Corventina” Dumornay got on the end of a through pass from Anyssa Ibrahim, firing a left-footed shot from the box’s center that settled into the bottom-right corner, leveling the score at 1-1. The large crowd of Haiti supporters in attendance erupted in celebration, as the early goal seemed to signal a competitive match ahead.
That early momentum was not to last for Haiti. Just before halftime, McKenna notched her second of the game, slotting a left-footed shot from the center of the box into the bottom-left corner to restore Australia’s lead at 2-1. The Matildas extended their advantage 8 minutes into the second half, when a blistering counterattack led by Caitlin Foord forced Haitian defender Kethna Louis into a last-ditch clearance that deflected into her own net, pushing the score to 3-1.
Australia retained unchallenged possession and territorial dominance for the rest of the match, even as Haiti’s players continued to fight for every ball. In the 65th minute, Foord got on the scoresheet herself: after a perfectly weighted pass from star striker Sam Kerr, Foord hit a right-footed effort from the left edge of the box into the bottom-left corner, making it 4-1. Seven minutes later, Daniela Galic added Australia’s fifth, converting a pass from Alana Murphy with a right-footed strike to the bottom-right corner. The Matildas kept pressing, and Clare Wheeler got her name on the scoresheet in the 79th minute, hitting a right-footed shot from the right side of the box into the top-left corner off a pass from Remy Siemsen. Holly McNamara rounded out the scoring for Australia in the 89th minute, slotting home a right-footed shot from the right edge of the box to lock in the 7-1 final score.
Sundhage made seven substitutions throughout the second half to give depth players minutes in the high-intensity friendly. The starting lineup for Haiti featured goalkeeper Naila Louissaint, defenders Jennyfer Limage, Melchie Daëlle Dumornay, Claire Constant, Kethna Louis and Anyssa Ibrahim, midfielders Batcheba Louis, Nérilia Mondésir and Roseline Éloissaint, and forwards Brittany Raphino and Sherly Jeudy, with players drawn from top clubs across France, the United States, Italy and Canada. The heavy defeat marks Haiti’s second consecutive lopsided loss in their 2027 preparation campaign, following a 5-1 defeat to Japan earlier in the international window, though the side had previously notched winning results against New Zealand and Equatorial Guinea earlier in Sundhage’s tenure as head coach.