(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Haiti Defeats New Zealand in World Cup Warm-Up Match as Belgium Overcomes Croatia
Haiti secured an impressive 4-0 victory over New Zealand in an international friendly match in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as both teams continued preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Backed by strong support from fans, Haiti delivered a confident performance and took control of the match early. Ruben Providence opened the scoring in the first half before Lenny Joseph added a second goal shortly after the break.
Frantzdy Pierrot extended Haiti’s advantage with a well-taken header, while Markhus Lacroix completed the scoring with a long-range effort late in the game.
The result provides a boost for Haiti ahead of its first FIFA World Cup appearance in more than five decades. The team is set to face challenging group-stage opponents, including Brazil, Morocco, and Scotland.
For New Zealand, the match served as an important learning experience ahead of its return to the World Cup. Captain Chris Wood marked a personal milestone by becoming New Zealand’s most-capped player, making his 89th international appearance.
Despite the defeat, New Zealand will look to regroup before its final warm-up fixture and the start of its World Cup campaign.
Belgium Defeats Croatia in Another Key Friendly
In another international warm-up match, Belgium earned a 2-0 victory over Croatia in Rijeka.
Midfielder Youri Tielemans opened the scoring before striker Romelu Lukaku sealed the win with a late goal on his return to international action after a lengthy absence due to injury.
Belgium captain Tielemans welcomed Lukaku’s successful comeback, highlighting the striker’s importance to the team ahead of the World Cup.
Croatia created several opportunities throughout the match, including efforts from captain Luka Modric and forward Ante Budimir, but were unable to find a breakthrough.
Both Belgium and Croatia will play additional preparation matches before beginning their World Cup campaigns later this month.
The latest round of international friendlies offered teams valuable opportunities to assess form, fine-tune tactics, and build momentum ahead of football’s biggest tournament.
