Tickets on sale for Haiti ‘warm-up’ matches in Florida before its World Cup showing

MIAMI — Tickets are on sale for Haiti’s final two friendly matches before the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Les Grenadiers aim to finalize their squad for next month’s global tournament.

Haiti will face New Zealand on June 2 at Inter Miami CF’s Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, according to a Haitian Football Federation (FHF) announcement made Tuesday. On June 5, the Haitian national team will meet Peru at NU Stadium, the local club’s newly opened state-of-the-art home in downtown Miami.

“We know the road is long, but the direction is clear,” FHF officials said in a statement on Facebook. “Each match brings us closer to our goals for the World Cup.”

Both matches are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and are expected to draw sold-out crowds from South Florida’s Haitian diaspora, energized by the country’s first World Cup appearance in 52 years. 

The June 5 match against Peru will mark the first international game held at the 26,700-seat venue at Miami Freedom Park, which officially opened last month. Many Haitian fans are excited to join the Florida festivities ahead of the global event.  

“I am so happy that Les Grenadiers will play here before heading to the World Cup,” Lionel Boisvert, a Miami resident, told The Haitian Times. 

“I encourage Haitians down here to show up in large numbers and shower the team with a good-luck send-off to the tournament,” he said. 

Friendlies aim to refine team for WC showing

In the World Cup kicking off next month, Haiti is scheduled to play in a challenging Group C that includes Brazil, Morocco and Scotland.

To prepare, the Haiti team is turning to friendly matches like those in South Florida to fine-tune tactics and evaluate players before submitting its final 26-player 2026 World Cup roster to FIFA. The coaching staff is expected to integrate additional players from top European leagues.

Then, the squad must be submitted by June 1. However, a preliminary, confidential list of 35 to 55 players is due earlier, by May 11. 

Haiti enters the June window after two competitive friendlies in March that offered a glimpse of the team’s progress — and its remaining gaps.

New Zealand, a fellow World Cup participant, has a direct physical style that could mirror aspects of the Scotland team. The June 2 meeting will be the first senior-level encounter between the two nations.

Peru, meanwhile, brings technical quality and experience as it faces Haiti for the fourth time. The South American team has won all three previous matches against Haiti, including a 1-0 victory at the 2016 Copa América Centenario.

Facing Peru in the final warm-up, even though the South Americans will not participate in the World Cup, could provide Haiti the closest simulation of the tempo and tactical discipline it is likely to face against Brazil.

South Florida’s Haitian diaspora in play 

Holding both matches in South Florida underscores the importance of diaspora support to Haiti’s national team, which has not played a match on home soil since June 15, 2021, due to escalating gang violence.

In March 2024, Haiti’s long-standing national stadium, the Stade Sylvio Cator, was overtaken by gangs. No events have taken place there since then, and it is unclear whether the institution may regain access to its match venue.  

During the World Cup qualifying campaign, Curaçao— a Dutch Caribbean island — became Haiti’s temporary home for matches. 

By coming to South Florida, a tournament co-host and home to the largest Haitian Diaspora, FHF officials hope strong attendance will create a home-like atmosphere, boosting player morale ahead of the tournament.

“First come, first served — hurry up and get your ticket today,” the federation said in its announcement.

Tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster.com. They range from $75 to $200 for a standard seat and $188 to $550 for a club seat.

“I don’t care how much the ticket costs,” said Boisvert, a 30-year-old electrician who plans to accompany the team through the group-stage games in Boston, Philadelphia and Atlanta.

“I will be there to cheer our soldiers [players] and pour love on them because they make us proud,” he said. 

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