All Whites vs Norway | Wed 15th Oct | 4:00am (NZT) | Ullevaal Stadion (Oslo, Norway)

Assume the Robot won’t play many minutes if any. With a 60 million quid rated striker in the squad and another striker playing for Athletic Madrid, nevertheless it could be a tough ask.

What is most concerning is if Oscar Bobb gets a good run at our slow turning full backs.

5 nil win for Norway today against Israel 

Someone got a hat-trick.

Fdv won't let him get near the ball

Their starting 11 verus Israel.

Dagens lag 💥 pic.twitter.com/kLUH1c5bPQ

— Fotballandslaget (@nff_landslag) October 11, 2025

Italy (2nd, 12 pts, +7GD) also won (3-1 over Estonia), and need to beat Israel in a few days to keep the pressure on Norway who are a perfect 6 wins from 6.

It's likely that when Norway (18 pts, +26 GD) travel to Milan in the final round (Nov 16th), the Italians would need a massive win to edge the Norwegians on GD for top spot. Ain't happening.

Realistically Italy need to beat Israel, wrap up 2nd spot and then go into the playoffs. Haaland & co are off to Norway's first World Cup in 28 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_%E2%80%93_UEFA_Group_I

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/live/c4gzj5nv3rgt

Victory left Norway in a commanding position in Group I as they look to compete in their first major international tournament since 2000 and first World Cup for 28 years.

I think we will very much see Norway B against AWs. They wont risk their big stars. Which us a shame. Boxall vs Harland would have been fun.
Watched their game against Israel. Norway were very very impressive. They have some good midfielders. But up front the cyborg was impossible to stop. Sorloth too was excellent. For 6ft 5 giant he is quick with good feet.

you never know. Haaland may wish to stat pad like ronaldo

austin111

I think we will very much see Norway B against AWs. They wont risk their big stars. Which us a shame. Boxall vs Harland would have been fun.
Watched their game against Israel. Norway were very very impressive. They have some good midfielders. But up front the cyborg was impossible to stop. Sorloth too was excellent. For 6ft 5 giant he is quick with good feet.

Hear that the Robot has returned to Manchester.

AucklandPhoenix

Hear that the Robot has returned to Manchester.

Wants to avoid the embarrassment of failing to score against New Zealand in 2 matches.

If the team - and possibly those who say our expectations are too high - need inspiration, Faroe Islands beat a full-guns Czechia 2-1 this morning in their World Cup qualifier. Czechia ranked 39 to Poland's 36 and Norway's 31. They also beat Montenegro 4-0 a couple days ago in their other qualifier this window. If they can, no reason we can't.

The Czech result was at the Faroe’s little ground in windswept Torshavn. Home advantage is a thing.

The Socceroos upset Canada 1-0 in Montreal. That might be more relevant as a motivation yardstick for the AWs

We have the potential as we showed in Toronto beating Ivory Coast. Just need our strongest XI to play most of the match.

If you look at our results of late, we’ve mostly just lost by the odd goal. If we score, we have a good chance of a draw, possibly a win.

A reminder:
- 0-1 | Poland
- 0-1 | Australia
- 1-2 | Ukraine
- 1-0 | Ivory Coast
- 1-1 | USA
- 0-0 | Tunisia
- 0-1 | Egypt
- 1-1 | Eire
- 1-1 | DR Congo
- 1-0 | Qatar

In that run above I’ve missed out Oceania matches and the two heavy losses we had (Australia and Mexico). It’s quite clear we can match them, just need to be clinical in that final third.

P.s. thanks to scouse kiwi for the above stats and his great Ultimate NZ Soccer Website.

The stats on Scouse Kiwi's website, maybe missing some data.

You omitted the 4-0 win over Malaysia, but you could group that into OFC, I guess.

3 other games you failed to mention.
The Qatar non result, also in the same window, as getting thrashed 4-1 in Stockholm. June 2023

Draw against Congo same window we lost 2-0 against Socceroos in England. Oct 2023

Draw in Dublin same window we lost 2-0 to Greece. Nov 2023

All of your above (selective) results, either were played Away or at a neutral venue.

Touchdown in Oslo 🇳🇴

The All Whites on the grass for the first time ahead of taking on Norway on Wednesday 💪

🇳🇿⚔️🇳🇴 | 15.10.25, 5am NZT
📺 Watch live and free on FIFA+ and TVNZ pic.twitter.com/v1qocPwfYC

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) October 12, 2025

Norway just casually bring in to their squad, a U21 kid worth £12.5 million.

They seem to have a proper Golden Generation thing going on. Their U20s are playing in a World Cup quarter final against France as I write this.

Not bad for a country of 5.6M. 

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/10/13/five-players-pull-out-of-norway-squad-to-face-all-whites-in-midweek-international/

Five players, including star striker Erling Haaland, have withdrawn from the Norway national squad two days before their friendly international against New Zealand.

The Norwegian FA said in a statement: “Players with particularly tight match schedules are returning home: Alexander Sorloth, Julian Ryerson, Erling Braut Haaland and Fredrik Bjorkan. Felix Horn Myhre is leaving the squad due to a sore ankle.”

The departures represent some of Norway’s most experienced international players, with Haaland (Manchester City) having scored 46 goals in 51 appearances, Sørloth (Atlético Madrid) scoring 24 in 66 games, and Ryerson (Borussia Dortmund) having 37 caps.

The latest withdrawals follow two last week when Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard injured his medial collateral ligament and Genoa’s Leo Østigård had not recovered from a broken rib.

The Norwegian FA say two uncapped players have been added to the squad to play New Zealand — defender Sebastian Sebulonsen (FC Köln) and midfielder Sverre Nypan, who is on loan to English Championship club Middlesbrough from parent club Manchester City.

coochiee

Norway just casually bring in to their squad, a kid worth £12.5 million.
They seem to have a proper Golden Generation thing going on. Not bad for a country of 5.6M.  

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/10/13/five-players-pull-out-of-norway-squad-to-face-all-whites-in-midweek-international/

Five players, including star striker Erling Haaland, have withdrawn from the Norway national squad two days before their friendly international against New Zealand.

The Norwegian FA said in a statement: “Players with particularly tight match schedules are returning home: Alexander Sorloth, Julian Ryerson, Erling Braut Haaland and Fredrik Bjorkan. Felix Horn Myhre is leaving the squad due to a sore ankle.”

The departures represent some of Norway’s most experienced international players, with Haaland (Manchester City) having scored 46 goals in 51 appearances, Sørloth (Atlético Madrid) scoring 24 in 66 games, and Ryerson (Borussia Dortmund) having 37 caps.

The latest withdrawals follow two last week when Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard injured his medial collateral ligament and Genoa’s Leo Østigård had not recovered from a broken rib.

The Norwegian FA say two uncapped players have been added to the squad to play New Zealand — defender Sebastian Sebulonsen (FC Köln) and midfielder Sverre Nypan, who is on loan to English Championship club Middlesbrough from parent club Manchester City.

Nypan, for whom Manchester City paid £12.5 million to sign him from Norwegian club Rosenborg, captained Norway’s U-21 side in their 4-1 loss to Spain on Saturday (NZT).

We all know the real reason for Erling's withdrawal. ;)

Man I hope the team go into this with an extremely positive and must win mindset. We want to think we can compete with these sorts of teams at full strength and they are missing so many of their best players while we are only missing Cacace (and maybe you can argue Just is in our best XI but we have comparable replacements for him). Furthermore we will be taking this incredibly seriously while Norway will be seeing this as a low stakes friendly in which to experiment, compared to their qualifiers. 

We should be considering ourselves favourites and acting as such. 

imanixsupporter

Man I hope the team go into this with an extremely positive and must win mindset. We want to think we can compete with these sorts of teams at full strength and they are missing so many of their best players while we are only missing Cacace (and maybe you can argue Just is in our best XI but we have comparable replacements for him). Furthermore we will be taking this incredibly seriously while Norway will be seeing this as a low stakes friendly in which to experiment, compared to their qualifiers. 

We should be considering ourselves favourites and acting as such. 

dunno about considering ourselves favourites, we should definitely be going in confident but even with their superstars being unavailable they remain a strong squad.

Whether or not we are actually favourites I want us to act like we are - fake it til we make it if we have to. 

Yeah we ain't favourites. Regardless if they run out a virtual 2nd string team, they are at home and on a 9 game winning streak. In comparison we have lost our last 4 matches.

But yes we should be trying to keep it tight, somehow score, and at least target grinding out a draw.

This website has had a guess at possible starting lineups, based on who is available. But they don't seem to know much about NZ, as if Bell is fit he starts.
Can also see 36 yr old Boxy getting a rest for Bindon.

https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/norway/preview/norway-vs-new-zealand-prediction-team-news-lineups_583457.html

Norway possible starting lineup:
Nylad (Sevilla), Wolfe (Wolves), Lysaker Heggem (Bologna), Ajer (Brentford), Sebulonsen (FC Köln), Berg (Bodo Glimt), Berge (Fulham), Bobb (Man City), Nusa (RB Leipzig), Larsen (Wolves), Heggebo (West Brom)

New Zealand possible starting lineup:
Paulsen, De Vries, Boxall, Surman, Payne, Stamenic, Thomas, Garbett, Singh, McCowatt, Wood

coochiee

Yeah we ain't favourites. Regardless if they run out a virtual 2nd string team, they are at home and on a 9 game winning streak. In comparison we have lost our last 4 matches.

But yes we should be trying to keep it tight, somehow score, and at least target grinding out a draw.

This website has had a guess at possible starting lineups, based on who is available. But they don't seem to know much about NZ, as if Bell is fit he starts.
Can also see 36 yr old Boxy getting a rest for Bindon.

https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/norway/preview/norway-vs-new-zealand-prediction-team-news-lineups_583457.html

Norway possible starting lineup:
Nylad (Sevilla), Wolfe (Wolves), Lysaker Heggem (Bologna), Ajer (Brentford), Sebulonsen (FC Köln), Berg (Bodo Glimt), Berge (Fulham), Bobb (Man City), Nusa (RB Leipzig), Larsen (Wolves), Heggebo (West Brom)

New Zealand possible starting lineup:
Paulsen, De Vries, Boxall, Surman, Payne, Stamenic, Thomas, Garbett, Singh, McCowatt, Wood

The lineup 'predictions' are just the lineups from the previous match (for both us and them) minus the Norwegian players who have left the team, who definitely won't play and the call that Wood will start over Waine.

I wouldn't be surprised if Andreas Schjelderup starts for one of Bobb or Nusa - Nusa the more dangerous player of those two. Thelo Aasgaard maybe in for Berge who played 90, Andreas Hanche Olsen maybe in at centre-back. Marcus Pedersen was picked over Sebulonsen originally in the squad and played no minutes vs Israel, so may get that start. Anyway - all speculative.

Yes all speculative. I guess the takeaway is that on paper anyway they will still field a stronger side than us, even with all their absentees.

They will go close to having a starting 11 of players all at clubs in the top 5 leagues. 
We have Wood.

Piney had Surman on his weekend show and asked him to compare playing with Boxall and Bindon. One of the things he said was that Boxall was faster and stronger. Of course you'd expect him to be stronger but crazy that at 37 he is still quicker than such an athletic 20 year old. He really doesn't look like he has lost a step. 

Big kudos to Boxall. He's having a huge season in the MLS at Minnesota, where he is captain. Named in the MLS All Stars game, and he's right up near the top in all the defender stats (they have a few).

Big month coming up for him at Minny (4th in the West). They have their best ever shot at a MLS Cup title since Boxy has been there. They could yet finish 2nd in the West, depending how results go in the final regualr season round this coming weekend ("Decision Day"). It's partly why I think Baze will rest him against Norway.

Ups to not only Mikey B for keeping his body in excellent shape, but the hard arse boot camps he does in NZ each summer with Sunesh Singh. 'Coach Sunz' is a South African born finess trainer who is not only the AWs S&C coach, but also fitness trainer for likes of Israel Adesanya, Tom Abercrombie and in the past Sonny Bill Williams.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/a-little-touch-of-sunz-meet-the-trainer-behind-nzs-top-athletes/TYEB2DB7LWQDOC675KLT2M2QMQ/

Apparently Haarland requested to leave the squad when he heard Boxall would be marking him LOL.
Ive been watching plenty of WC qualifying games. They are intense, high pressure games with lots at stake. Our friendlies are useful but they are still just friendlies. IMO we are coming from a lower base not having an intense qualifying pathway. Ok its hot in the Islands but its very low pressure. The Aussie coach said qualifying through Asia has been fundimental for their development. They have had to learn to grind out results in difficult circumstances. The AWs by comparison still lack that. 

coochiee

The stats on Scouse Kiwi's website, maybe missing some data.

You missed out the 4-0 win over Malaysia, but you could group that into OFC, I guess.

3 other games you failed to mention.
The Qatar non result, also in the same window, as getting thrashed 4-1 in Stockholm. June 2023

Draw against Congo same window we lost 2-0 against Socceroos in England. Oct 2023

Draw in Dublin same window we lost 2-0 to Greece. Nov 2023

All of your above (selective) results, either were played Away or at a neutral venue.

Touchdown in Oslo 🇳🇴

The All Whites on the grass for the first time ahead of taking on Norway on Wednesday 💪

🇳🇿⚔️🇳🇴 | 15.10.25, 5am NZT
📺 Watch live and free on FIFA+ and TVNZ pic.twitter.com/v1qocPwfYC

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) October 12, 2025

Chose to stop at Ireland. We should always beat Malaysia.

But you didn’t stop at Eire, you also listed selective matches from preceding windows. You listed 3 games from the June, Oct & Nov 2023 windows (incl the non result against Qatar ie only 45 mins of football) but then left out the other 3 more unfavourable results from those same 3 windows. Odd

Yes the AWs have had a number of narrow one goal losses since 2023, but also a number of games where they have been well beaten.

Turfmoore

AucklandPhoenix

Hear that the Robot has returned to Manchester.

Wants to avoid the embarrassment of failing to score against New Zealand in 2 matches.

More than likely it’s the news that Nando Pijnaker doesn’t rate him sufficiently and so has missed the game, that has caused him to return to Manchester in embarrassment…

austin111

Apparently Haarland requested to leave the squad when he heard Boxall would be marking him LOL.
Ive been watching plenty of WC qualifying games. They are intense, high pressure games with lots at stake. Our friendlies are useful but they are still just friendlies. IMO we are coming from a lower base not having an intense qualifying pathway. Ok its hot in the Islands but its very low pressure. The Aussie coach said qualifying through Asia has been fundimental for their development. They have had to learn to grind out results in difficult circumstances. The AWs by comparison still lack that. 

It’s disappointing we didn’t treat the two higher intensity Aussie games as more of a cup final/ knockout type game imo. They took those seriously enough. 

Maybe Scandinavia will also feel familiar for Bell and McCowatt! A home away from him advantage. 

martinb

Turfmoore

AucklandPhoenix

Hear that the Robot has returned to Manchester.

Wants to avoid the embarrassment of failing to score against New Zealand in 2 matches.

More than likely it’s the news that Nando Pijnaker doesn’t rate him sufficiently and so has missed the game, that has caused him to return to Manchester in embarrassment…

He probably just remembers what the inside of George Stanger's pocket looks like from the U20s and doesn't need to see it again.

Nelfoos

martinb

Turfmoore

AucklandPhoenix

Hear that the Robot has returned to Manchester.

Wants to avoid the embarrassment of failing to score against New Zealand in 2 matches.

More than likely it’s the news that Nando Pijnaker doesn’t rate him sufficiently and so has missed the game, that has caused him to return to Manchester in embarrassment…

He probably just remembers what the inside of George Stanger's pocket looks like from the U20s and doesn't need to see it again.

To be fair to Haaland, the last time NZ shut him out of the game, he responded by scoring 9 in his next game. You'd think City would want a piece of that.

Ahead of the All Whites taking on Norway tomorrow morning in Oslo, watch the Pre-Match Press Conference with Chris Wood and Darren Bazeley.

▶️ Watch on our YouTube channel at https://t.co/EEFrqmgArY pic.twitter.com/jvmLxyR6YS

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) October 13, 2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2olm_w0VqSA

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/10/14/the-night-new-zealands-youngsters-outplayed-norway-on-the-world-stage/

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/10/14/new-zealands-opponents-norway-10-things-you-might-want-to-know/

New Zealand’s midweek match against Norway may well spark memories for Norwegian head coach Ståle Solbakken — especially if the game involves a penalty.

The international friendly will be only the second time the countries have met; the first was a 3-0 win to Norway in Brisbane in 1997, when they met during the Optus World Series.

Solbakken played in Norway’s midfield during the game, one of 58 caps for the national team he now coaches.

Reports say he was one of Norway’s best players on the day despite missing a penalty.

5am NZT kick off. Mods please update thread title.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360850791/six-years-shutting-erling-haaland-out-all-whites-golden-generation-face-norway-again

MATCHDAY IN NORWAY 🇳🇿⚔️🇳🇴

Countdown to showtime for the All Whites against FIFA Ranked 31 Norway in Oslo 🔥

🇳🇿 All Whites v Norway🇳🇴
🏟️ Ullevaal Stadion
📅 15.10 NZT / 14.10 Local
🕰️ 5am NZT / 6pm Local
📺 Watch live and free on FIFA+ and TVNZ pic.twitter.com/ztPgv5Pwis

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) October 14, 2025

coochiee

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/10/14/the-night-new-zealands-youngsters-outplayed-norway-on-the-world-stage/

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/10/14/new-zealands-opponents-norway-10-things-you-might-want-to-know/

New Zealand’s midweek match against Norway may well spark memories for Norwegian head coach Ståle Solbakken — especially if the game involves a penalty.

The international friendly will be only the second time the countries have met; the first was a 3-0 win to Norway in Brisbane in 1997, when they met during the Optus World Series.

Solbakken played in Norway’s midfield during the game, one of 58 caps for the national team he now coaches.

Reports say he was one of Norway’s best players on the day despite missing a penalty.

In fairness, it wasn't a miss, batty saved it

I'd go with this tomorrow.

                     Paulsen

tuiloma   Surman  Boxall  LKH

          Bell       Thomas

                  Marko

        McCowatt      Singh

                 Wood 

- Bill looks fit to me in media photos. Adds a goal scoring option. Also playing at a higher level than Payne (less game time I admit) 
- LKH as I just don't trust FDV anymore.
- 3 in the midfield so we can actually control the ball and win that battle.
- Two in form attackers supporting Wood. 

Payne to start, Tuiloma to get 30 mins at the end.
I'd trust FDV defensively more than LKH.

Suspect Boxy will be rested, for Bindon to get a run.

Front six, you may not be far off. Apparently Bell had a muscle twinge before the Poland game, but trained yesterday in Oslo.

Already had word of a 12 hour shift at work tomorrow. Hope the boys can make the preceeding 430am wake up worth it. And for you flying kiwis over in Europe hope you have a ripper at the game and get blessed with many moments to cheer about throughout!