2026 All Whites International Fixtures

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.

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, the FIFA 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. 

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