2026 All Whites International Fixtures

andrewvoerman wrote:
Happy to stand corrected if someone can provide a source that says so, but as far as I'm aware, the FIFA ASEAN Cup carries no extra weight with regard to FIFA rankings compared to friendlies.

With all due respect to whoever at NZF is emailing Coochie, this isn't a tournament the All Whites should be wanting to be a part of.

theprof wrote:

 andrewvoerman wrote:
Happy to stand corrected if someone can provide a source that says so, but as far as I'm aware, the FIFA ASEAN Cup carries no extra weight with regard to FIFA rankings compared to friendlies.

With all due respect to whoever at NZF is emailing Coochie, this isn't a tournament the All Whites should be wanting to be a part of.

I'm curious as t why you think NZF shouldnt want the mens team playing more games? 

coochiee wrote:
Will those friendlies in Sept/Oct carry the same FIFA ranking weightings, as potential wins at the FIFA ASEAN Cup though? 

Saffa wrote:
Also curious which tournament Andrew would like the All Whites to be part of? 

Is the strategy to gain a one off ticket to ride and hopefully gain a better ranking or is it more long term? 

I understand the need to get a better world ranking but I just don't think a short term approach works. Will make a lot of people happy though :)

coochiee wrote:
Maybe it's just other ASEAN comps like the ASEAN Championship currently being played outside a FIFA window, carried no Ranking points??
So yes this official FIFA comp is better than anything the ASEAN nations have had before.

Someone much smarter than me (Carlind?) might be able to roughly calculate what would happen to the AWs rankings if they won the FIFA ASEAN Cup. Pointless exercise though yes it would be, because we ain't gonna be there

Agree the standard of the teams ain't great. But hey World no 138 India are visiting NZ in November and I don't see any football journos saying we shouldn't be having those games - which yes admittedly are rare non OFC matches in Aotearoa.

And after the excitement of watching Eli score those goals, and the AWs twice leading at a WC, watching them play Poland or Norway B at 5am NZT is not really going to cut it either going forward


https://vietnamnet.vn/en/vietnam-to-face-thailand-in-fifa-asean-cup-2026-group-stage-2540352.html

The FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 is the first regional international football tournament to be organized and managed directly by FIFA. It is separate from the traditional ASEAN Championship (ASEAN Cup) and will be played during the official FIFA international window from September 24 to October 3, 2026.

Holding the tournament during FIFA Days allows participating nations to call up their strongest available squads, including players based overseas. Match results will also count toward the FIFA Men's World Ranking under the weighting applied to official FIFA international fixtures.

Another notable feature of the inaugural tournament is its expanded scope beyond the 11 member associations of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). In addition to Southeast Asian teams, FIFA has invited Pakistan and Hong Kong (China) to participate, increasing the tournament's competitiveness while providing additional international experience for teams across the region.


AI Overview
Yes, theFIFA ASEAN Cup carries a higher importance multiplier for FIFA world ranking points than a standard international friendly. Official tournament matches under FIFA's organization feature an increased weighting (often cited at a 10x multiplier equivalent or higher status) compared to routine international friendlies. 

Saffa wrote:
Great Points AV and Martinb

Let's me just add to it....

1. Gold Cup and Copa America would be awesome but not a long term approach to improving the AW.

2. One has to absolutely complement the NZF for arranging quality opponents for 21 of the 22 Windows. 

Where I differ with you (or maybe not) is that these two tournaments offer the AW anything. And yes maybe from a points point of view that might be true. I really think there is too much of a hyper focus on the AW 1st eleven which is not healthy for the squad. Looking back, most fans realise that some players were getting picked for their past performances. That their current form did not help the AW but the coach felt he had not choice but to field them because there was nobody else. There was clearly a ceiling.

I believe going forward there has to be more focus on the AW majority under 23 B squad. Those players just on the outside who need international minutes to see if they can make it or not. This is where I believe smaller unfanccied tournaments like ASEAN or COSAFA Cup can help the AW in the long term. 

Maybe looking at the very short term that's the squad that should play India. It's not about winning or losing but a process to building a bigger, stronger AW squad. Yes the losing will annoy fans but they will come to understand that it's a 4 year cycle.






 

andrewvoerman wrote:

 theprof wrote:

 andrewvoerman wrote:
Happy to stand corrected if someone can provide a source that says so, but as far as I'm aware, the FIFA ASEAN Cup carries no extra weight with regard to FIFA rankings compared to friendlies.

With all due respect to whoever at NZF is emailing Coochie, this isn't a tournament the All Whites should be wanting to be a part of.

I'm curious as t why you think NZF shouldnt want the mens team playing more games? 

The premise of this question is faulty – it's not about playing more games. The All Whites have played in 21 of the 22 windows since the Covid-19 pandemic, missing one in September 2023 due to a clash with Olympic qualifying. That will become 22 out of 23 this September, against stronger opposition than is present at the ASEAN Cup.

theprof wrote:
ok, so getting better opposition is fair, but by getting better opposition do we lose the ability to bring them to NZ?

AucklandPhoenix wrote:
No doubt playing in goal as there were not any keepers in his list.

Sidi 1 wrote:
I notice that India are playing Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, New Zealand....then Brazil !!!

Saffa wrote:
Pkb wrote:

India games, play James McGarry, Isaac Hughes, George Stanger, Alex Rufer, Nathan Walker (if fully fit), Lachlan Bayliss, Moses Dyer, Corban Piper, Codey Phoenix, Xuan Loke, Ben Waine, Matt Garbett, Luke Brooke Smith.

Notes:
It's a good team mate but I'm thinking a lot more younger. Anybody over 25 is out. Think 4 year time. 

PKB wrote:

 Saffa wrote:
Pkb wrote:

India games, play James McGarry, Isaac Hughes, George Stanger, Alex Rufer, Nathan Walker (if fully fit), Lachlan Bayliss, Moses Dyer, Corban Piper, Codey Phoenix, Xuan Loke, Ben Waine, Matt Garbett, Luke Brooke Smith.

Notes:
It's a good team mate but I'm thinking a lot more younger. Anybody over 25 is out. Think 4 year time. 

Riley Bidois, Marley Leuluai, Stipe Ukich, Luke Supyk, Henry Gray.

coochiee wrote:
 
Only small negative is it will just be two games in this new expanded combined Sept-Oct window, when we could play up to 4 games.

Saffa wrote:
Awesome!

Difficult games. Should Baze take the WC squad or change it up? It's a great start to the 4 year cycle. Anybody over 28yo should not be selected in my humble opinion. Just no values in it. 

Correction: Should Baze have any part to play here? It's very common in many countries that the Association selects another manager temporarily for a tournament. Should NZF do the same?

Saffa wrote:
I know he isn't 28 yet but think Sarpreet needs a break. He needs to focus on his club game and hopefully get into the 1st division in Portugal. Playing against quality U23 teams in the 2nd division is ok but not what the AW needs right now. 

Look to the future...