������Ƶ

Galloway, N.J. — ������Ƶ announced today that Haiti has selected the school’s athletic facilities as its Team Base Camp training site for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Haiti, the only Caribbean nation to qualify for the World Cup twice, last played in the tournament in 1974.

“������Ƶ is honored to be selected as a Team Base Camp for the FIFA World Cup 2026. This recognition affirms the strength of our athletic facilities and the dedication of our staff, who have worked tirelessly to create an environment where the world’s best athletes can train, learn and feel at home,” said ������Ƶ President Joe Bertolino. “We welcome Haiti to our beautiful campus this summer to participate in the largest sporting event in the world.”

The Haiti National Team, also known as the Grenadiers, are in Group C and will arrive at ������Ƶ on June 8. Their first World Cup game is in Boston on June 13 against Scotland. They will play Brazil on June 19 in Philadelphia and finish group play June 24 against Morocco in Atlanta.

������Ƶ is one of four Team Base Camp sites in New Jersey for teams playing in the World Cup. Brazil will practice at the Columbia Park Training Center in Morris Township. Morocco will train at the Pingry School in Basking Ridge, and Senegal will train at Rutgers University.

“We are thrilled that Brazil, Haiti, Morocco and Senegal have decided to call the Garden State home, bringing the World Cup directly to communities across our state and driving economic activity throughout the region,” said New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill. “Their decision underscores what we know to be true: New Jersey is a premier destination for world-class events and tourism.”

Haiti will have access to two natural grass outdoor fields at ������Ƶ, including G. Larry James Stadium, and the Sports Center, which includes physical therapy facilities and meeting rooms for the coaching staff.

“We’re extremely excited, grateful and honored that ������Ƶ has been selected by the Haiti National Team for their 2026 FIFA World Cup Team Base Camp,” said Jeff Haines, associate director of Athletics and Recreation at ������Ƶ. 

Haiti joins an elite group of prestigious National Teams, Olympic Teams and foreign clubs to practice or play at ������Ƶ over the last 30 years, including the 1994 Saudi Arabian World Cup Team, 1996 Nigerian Olympic Team that won the gold medal and CR Flamengo in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Also, ������Ƶ hosted two exhibition games with the Trinidad and Tobago National Team on campus in 1996.

“Last summer, we had an amazing experience hosting one of the most popular teams in the world, CR Flamengo, for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Our collaboration with FIFA and CR Flamengo provided an environment for Flamengo to flourish, winning their group and advancing into the knockout stage of the tournament,” Haines said. “������Ƶ is one of the few Team Base Camps nationwide that has hosted for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, 2025 Club World Cup and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. We’re embracing the successful tradition of Team Base Camps at ������Ƶ and looking forward to hosting Haiti as our latest National Team.”

Bertolino emphasized that ������Ƶ’s selection provides further evidence of the university’s impact on the community.

“As an Anchor Institution in this region, we embrace opportunities that bring people together across cultures and continents,” he said. “The World Cup represents excellence, teamwork and global unity, values that reflect who we are as a university.”

Alex Lasry, the CEO of the New York New Jersey Host Committee, said teams from four different continents preparing for the World Cup in the state reflects the global strength of the region.

“As one of the most diverse regions in the world, these teams will be welcomed to communities that already know and celebrate them, creating an atmosphere of pride and connection throughout the tournament,” Lasry said. “We look forward to their arrivals, which will drive economic impact and increased tourism, while showcasing the diversity, infrastructure and connectivity that make New York New Jersey ready to host the world.”

Philadelphia Union midfielder Danley Jean Jacques is one of two Haitian players selected for the team with local ties. Fullback Markhus “Duke” Lacroix, who grew up in Plumsted Township and played soccer at the University of Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2014, was also picked. In 2012 and 2013, Lacroix appeared in 21 games and scored four goals for the Ocean City Nor’easters of the Premier Development League. He currently plays for the Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the USL Championship.

Per FIFA regulations, all practices are closed to the general public.

-- Story by Mark Melhorn