I tell you what l, I hope with all these eyeballs on us, I hope Singh’s agent is working overtime to get him top football- back on the phone to Werder Bremen, etc etc after dueling with Caicedo, getting seen by Messi, creating chances for Wood, scoring for his club…reunited with Darije he’s improved out of sight and frankly I think his ceiling could be much higher.
To be fair sounds like Pragnell has been listening to the criticism, and appears FIFA have some rules where pre WC friendlies have to be hosted in one city only.
AWs game(s) promised for the Sth Island later in 2026. Remembering also Te Kaha won't be completed by March next year.
He moved to reassure fans that the All Whites would play home matches outside Auckland – where five of the last seven have been – later in 2026.
“We would have loved to play in two cities, but one of the requirements of hosting is ensuring all games are played in one location to maximise training time ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
“We have already committed to bringing the team home again after the tournament, where we are looking to play at least one game in the South Island, so fans can get used to continuing to see the team on a regular basis, as they have in 2025.
These 2 March friendlies to be part of a 4 team mini tourney (like Egypt back in March 2024). Does that mean there will be 4 teams playing in NZ?
Or the 4 teams will be playing games between NZ & Aussie, ie NZ & Aussie joint hosts of the 4 team tourney?
The All Whites will play two matches in Auckland in March as a final send-off before the FIFA World Cup in North America next June.
New Zealand will host an edition of the FIFA Series between March 26 and 31 with support from the government’s events attraction package.
FIFA Series tournaments bring together four nations who will play two matches each.
The All Whites previously took part in one in March 2024, losing to Egypt then drawing with Tunisia, before losing a penalty shootout that meant they finished fourth.
It is not yet known who will be taking part alongside the All Whites in March.
But it is understood NZ Football is confident they will be teams ranked higher than 85th-placed New Zealand by FIFA, providing a reasonable challenge ahead of the World Cup.
Australia is also set to host a FIFA Series event in March.
The All Whites will learn their opponents at next year’s World Cup when the draw is made later this week (6am Saturday NZ time).
NZF previously claimed it would take games to Christchurch once the new stadium was complete - i.e. a send-off game before the World Cup in June. Now they won't get anything until after the world cup hype dies off and it will be a low-profile November friendly against a 100+ ranked Asian team. That's if they keep their word this time.
To be fair sounds like Pragnell has been listening to the criticism, and appears FIFA have some rules where pre WC friendlies have to be hosted in one city only.
AWs game(s) promised for the Sth Island later in 2026. Remembering also Te Kaha won't be completed by March next year.
He moved to reassure fans that the All Whites would play home matches outside Auckland – where five of the last seven have been – later in 2026.
“We would have loved to play in two cities, but one of the requirements of hosting is ensuring all games are played in one location to maximise training time ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
“We have already committed to bringing the team home again after the tournament, where we are looking to play at least one game in the South Island, so fans can get used to continuing to see the team on a regular basis, as they have in 2025.
It's lip service until they actually do it. Until then - Auckland has had 6 games in 8 months while the rest of the country has had 6 games in THIRTEEN YEARS!!!
NZF previously claimed it would take games to Christchurch once the new stadium was complete - i.e. a send-off game before the World Cup in June. Now they won't get anything until after the world cup hype dies off and it will be a low-profile November friendly against a 100+ ranked Asian team. That's if they keep their word this time.
I suspect FIFA will be dictating that all June friendlies just prior the WC have to be played in North America or nearby. Citing player welfare, travel loads etc etc. Bearing in mind most of our squad will be finishing up their club seasons in Europe, and then maybe going straight into a camp somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere.
NZ just too far away from the World Cup host nations, to have June matches in Aotearoa.
But you'd hope any AWs friendlies in NZ post the big dance could be as soon as the September window.
Yipe way too much Auckland bias for hosting AWs games, but the compressed nature of FIFA windows and long travel to & from NZ to Europe/USA doesn't make it easy.
Didn't Chris Wood leave the Socceroos Mt Smart game and head straight to the International Airport, last time the AWs were in NZ?
NZF previously claimed it would take games to Christchurch once the new stadium was complete - i.e. a send-off game before the World Cup in June. Now they won't get anything until after the world cup hype dies off and it will be a low-profile November friendly against a 100+ ranked Asian team. That's if they keep their word this time.
I suspect FIFA will be dictating that all June friendlies just prior the WC have to be played in North America or nearby. Citing player welfare, travel loads etc etc. Bearing in mind most of our squad will be finishing up their club seasons in Europe, and then maybe going straight into a camp somewhere in the Northern Hemisphere.
NZ just too far away from the World Cup host nations, to have June matches in Aotearoa.
But you'd hope any AWs friendlies in NZ post the big dance could be as soon as the September window.
Yipe way too much Auckland bias for hosting AWs games, but the compressed nature of FIFA windows and long travel to & from NZ to Europe doesn't make it easy.
Didn't Chris Wood leave the Socceroos Mt Smart game and head straight to the International Airport, last time the AWs were in NZ?
If that's the case, NZF should have insisted on different cities, both games in Wellington or just organising their own matches. It's just getting very very tiresome that finally this country is getting consistent home games (well... in the mens space) and they're all happening in one city nowhere near the middle of the country.
Sorry, but NZ Football has never signalled anything about taking a send-off game to Christchurch.
They have said they would look to play there only once Te Kaha was open and yes, that will happen before then, but the indication has always been it would be when they next play in New Zealand after next year's World Cup.
Sorry, but NZ Football has never signalled anything about taking a send-off game to Christchurch.
They have said they would look to play there only once Te Kaha was open and yes, that will happen before then, but the indication has always been it would be when they next play in New Zealand after next year's World Cup.
Yahoo, Cantabrians will be thrilled to see them play a 100+ ranked Asian team in an irrelevant friendly game!
These 2 March friendlies to be part of a 4 team mini tourney (like Egypt back in March 2024). Does that mean there will be 4 teams playing in NZ?
Or the 4 teams will be playing games between NZ & Aussie, ie NZ & Aussie joint hosts of the 4 team tourney?
The All Whites will play two matches in Auckland in March as a final send-off before the FIFA World Cup in North America next June.
New Zealand will host an edition of the FIFA Series between March 26 and 31 with support from the government’s events attraction package.
FIFA Series tournaments bring together four nations who will play two matches each.
The All Whites previously took part in one in March 2024, losing to Egypt then drawing with Tunisia, before losing a penalty shootout that meant they finished fourth.
It is not yet known who will be taking part alongside the All Whites in March.
But it is understood NZ Football is confident they will be teams ranked higher than 85th-placed New Zealand by FIFA, providing a reasonable challenge ahead of the World Cup.
Australia is also set to host a FIFA Series event in March.
The All Whites will learn their opponents at next year’s World Cup when the draw is made later this week (6am Saturday NZ time).
LT01
andrewvoerman
Sorry, but NZ Football has never signalled anything about taking a send-off game to Christchurch.
They have said they would look to play there only once Te Kaha was open and yes, that will happen before then, but the indication has always been it would be when they next play in New Zealand after next year's World Cup.
Yahoo, Cantabrians will be thrilled to see them play a 100+ ranked Asian team in an irrelevant friendly game!
If I was a betting man I'd actually bet on a Soccer Ashes fixture next November.
Sorry, but NZ Football has never signalled anything about taking a send-off game to Christchurch.
They have said they would look to play there only once Te Kaha was open and yes, that will happen before then, but the indication has always been it would be when they next play in New Zealand after next year's World Cup.
Yahoo, Cantabrians will be thrilled to see them play a 100+ ranked Asian team in an irrelevant friendly game!
Oh well most of AWs games in Auckland, are either OFC minnows or no name AFC teams (China, Malaysia). Socceroos the outlier.
In terms of minimising disruption to senior players, I would rather March fixtures were in Europe, East Coast of North America, and played some home games in June (AKL/WLG/CHC) prior World Cup against teams who hadn't qualified who would not mind being out here for two games.
I'm sure all World Cup qualified teams will be trying to arrange friendlies in June that match up similar to their pool opponents.
ie we draw Japan, Baze will want a friendly against say Sth Korea. And the AWs to likewise to fulfil their traditional role as a down graded Socceroos.
That's the best ideal WC prep, especially for the AWs who will need every bit of help they can can get.
That will all be far easier to organise in summer time North America (or Europe) in the June WC leadup, rather than getting anyone to visit far flung chilly NZ.
Let’s be fair though! Auckland would love some test cricket too. (I assume…) *ducks*
No in seriousness, all power to you. It’s like when the Black Caps play in the north of India. I remember now how beautiful that ground was!
I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt our tourism to have a tournament in Christchurch with an open invitation to the coaches and staff to go on to Queenstown or get the train through the mountains…which I’ve tried to find a window to do 3 times in the last ten years! Eck.
Short FIFA windows (esp to far flung NZ) are literally all about long haul travel, sleep, couple training sessions, play, travel again, train, play, long haul back to your club. Maybe attend a Chinese NZ, Korean NZ, Malaysian NZ or whatever function one evening
Likely an unpopular opinion, but I personally care less about the send off and more about the quality of the opposition and the time spent in camp. I actually would have preferred we played in North America or Europe, to give our best XI a chance to maximise time on the ground and likely play against better opposition. It's the last window before the WC, these games will be crucial. Having most players spend 20hr on a plane isn't ideal
Likely an unpopular opinion, but I personally care less about the send off and more about the quality of the opposition and the time spent in camp. I actually would have preferred we played in North America or Europe, to give our best XI a chance to maximise time on the ground and likely play against better opposition. It's the last window before the WC, these games will be crucial. Having most players spend 20hr on a plane isn't ideal
I'm not sure the trip home will be as damaging as you suggest, but I completely agree that time together in camp is a higher priority in March than going on a tour of the provinces for the sake of the fans. I think we can be a bit more grown up than that.
It wouldn't be so frustrating if Auckland hadn't gotten so many other games... the Australia game, the Samoa game, the Malaysia game all didn't need to be in Auckland.
I understand this is an opportunity to play high quality opposition at home and that ticks a lot of boxes so having both games in Auckland seems to be fine, but the frustration is more that it follows a general pattern of every damn important football match in this country being in Auckland. OFC comps, National league finals, chatham/kate sheppard cup finals, etc.
NZF wouldn't be in a position where people were so frustrated by more Auckland games if they'd actually spread the others around more in the first place.
Short FIFA windows (esp to far flung NZ) are literally all about long haul travel, sleep, couple training sessions, play, travel again, train, play, long haul back to your club. Maybe attend a Chinese NZ, Korean NZ, Malaysian NZ or whatever function one evening
Zero time to hop on the TranzAlpine sadly.
For the coaches/selectors who’ve got nothing to do until the next FIFA window! And the injured guys and their partners, any traveling officials, sports/travel influencers…
Population probably dictates that Auckland get the games
Population shouldn't matter - it's popularity that matters.
Wellington got 21k for Fiji yet can't get another game. Auckland couldn't even get that for the Soccer Ashes and hit under 10k for Malaysia and Samoa yet keeps on getting games.
By the way using population - Auckland gets 6/8 (75%) of recent home games with only 34% of NZs population. Even if you go by cities it's about 50%. So it's still not representative at all.
Maybe more realistic from the pool of World Cup qualified teams that we might be able to tempt over here with the money that will be on offer are minnows like Cape Verde, Curacao, Haiti, Panama.
We played Paraguay twice under Ricki and then again under Hay didn't we. As such, not a very exciting matchup, for me.
AWs never played Paraguay under Hay. The Ricki games x2 were 15 years ago
It’s more about playing the toughest opponent possible. There are only 4 games left before we play Egypt (assuming 2 matches Stateside just prior the WC)
Of your above list only Panama would likely be as challenging as any CONMEBOL team
I think FIFA fully fund these FIFA Series 4 team tournaments played biennially
It is Peru that we played under Hay that I was thinking of.
Yeah Paraguay would be a better opponent, hopefully we do get a team more like them than the teams I named but I like to have low expectations and be pleasantly surprised. Still reasonably realistic we could get them for the reasons you state.
Apparently from the abandoned Qatar game and Jordan a few years ago we haven't played many west asian teams. Iran is in our group - perhaps getting Saudi, Uzbekistan or Jordan over here wouldn't be the worst thing?
Egypt are really a bit of a rule unto themselves - not so comparable to Tunisia/Morocco/Algeria who mostly are based and often born overseas.
Playing Uzbekistan a good call. It was a game against them In Jan 2022 that was abandoned not Jordan. Covid outbreak amongst players
But the Uzbeks are like Iran a Central Asian team of mostly home based players, who don’t play much outside AFC. They might be struggling to otherwise find opposition for friendlies
Sounds like it will be post-holiday period before the details of this are confirmed – I believe it is highly likely to be a Friday–Monday set of matches for the #AllWhiteshttps://t.co/mtWTYImJaM
New Zealand’s position of 82nd in early 2025 was the highest since the team was 79th in 2013.
The 2-1 loss to Colombia and the 2-0 loss to Ecuador were included in the latest revision, with Colombia holding their #13 status and Ecuador staying in the #23 position.