The game between Haiti and New Zealand got a sudden delay from the original kickoff. Haiti and New Zealand are set to clash on Tuesday, June 2, in an international friendly as both nations fine-tune their preparations for the upcoming 2026 World Cup. However, with kickoff originally scheduled for 8:00 PM Eastern Time, the highly anticipated matchup hit a sudden snag.
Staged at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida—former home of Inter Miami—the venue was pounded by a severe weather front bringing heavy electrical storms and torrential downpours, preventing both squads from taking the pitch for their standard pre-match warm-ups. Given the high stakes of the pre-World Cup tune-up, match officials determined the waterlogged pitch was unplayable, while the persistent threat of lightning strikes posed an immediate safety hazard.
The severe weather forced stadium authorities and the refereeing crew to delay the opening whistle to protect the safety of the players and fans. Despite the heavy winds and driving rain hammering South Florida, tournament organizers confirmed the match will proceed as scheduled once the storm passes and the playing surface is deemed safe.
Both the Haiti and New Zealand squads have remained inside their respective locker rooms while monitoring the meteorological updates. Event staff have officially rescheduled the new kickoff time for 8:36 PM local time.
Warmups (finally) underway 🇳🇿🇭🇹⛈️NEW KICKOFF TIME 8:36 LOCAL / 12:36PM NZ ⏰Watch live on TVNZ and FIFA+ 🎥 pic.twitter.com/feRciH5oPi— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) June 3, 2026
*Developing story…