New Zealand will add a friendly against Haiti to its 2026 World Cup warm-up schedule

New Zealand will play a friendly against Haiti in Florida in early June, four days before taking on England to complete its World Cup preparations, NZ Football said on Wednesday.

The All Whites, who return to football’s biggest stage for the first time since 2010, will play Haiti for the first time at Chase Stadium, ‌Fort Lauderdale, on June 3, ahead of their clash with England in ⁠Tampa.

“We have been working to secure two matches against other World Cup opposition to put us in the best position to perform at the tournament,” coach Darren Bazeley said in a statement.

“The combination of the confrontation with Haiti and England, both in Florida, we believe is exactly that.”

New Zealand, ranked 85th in the world, will play Iran, Egypt and Belgium in Group G on their way to their first World Cup victory.

Haiti, two places higher in the rankings, is preparing for its second World Cup appearance, 52 years after the first. The draw was against Scotland, Brazil and Morocco in Group C.

“Haiti is a good team and at a similar level to us, so we feel this is a perfect test as we get ready to kick off against Iran in LA,” Bazeley added.

Bazeley will name his squad for the tournament in mid-May, with his side starting the campaign against the Iranians on June 15 at the Los Angeles Stadium.

Published on May 6, 2026