Three days out: Sunrise Airways joins Haiti's World Cup journey as official airline

Three days before the tournament opener, Haiti's pre-World Cup preparations are crystallising around both commercial momentum and a lingering logistical concern. On June 5, Haitian airline Sunrise Airways announced a formal partnership with the Fédération Haïtienne de Football (FHF) as the official airline partner for the 2026 World Cup — a rare piece of domestic corporate backing for a squad almost entirely foreign-based. The carrier described football as "a vehicle for national unity" in its press release.

That unity theme extends to the squad itself. Of the 26 players finalised on May 15 by coach Sébastien Migné, 25 are diaspora-based; the sole home-based player, Wolverhampton Violette AC midfielder Woodensky Pierre, was still awaiting a U.S. entry visa as of late May, a situation that drew international attention and underscores the administrative hurdles the programme navigates routinely.

On the pitch, confidence is high. Haiti closed their pre-tournament camp with a commanding 4-0 friendly win over New Zealand on June 2 at Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale — Jean-Kévin Duverne featured the full 90 minutes, per Yahoo Sports — before facing Peru on June 5 at NU Stadium, Miami. Their Group C opener against Scotland is Saturday, June 13, 21:00 ET at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough.