NZ All Whites to face England pre World Cup
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
New Zealand Football have confirmed a huge All Whites fixture ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, taking on fourth ranked England, one of the favourites for the tournament, in south Florida, USA.
The match will be played on Sunday 7 June NZT (Saturday 6 June local time), with the venue and kick-off time to be announced.
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The game will see the All Whites face their highest-ranked opponent in 17 years, coming face to face with The Three Lions for the first time since 1991, and for just the third time in history.
New Zealand Head Coach Darren Bazeley said it's set to be a massive encounter.
“Our strategy over the last year has been to take on top-ranked sides to ensure we are in the best place to perform at the tournament, and this match gives us a final opportunity to really test ourselves against one of the favourites.
“England are a great side with big names all over the pitch, but we want our players to face that type of challenge so we can work collectively to find solutions against top teams.
“This match should be a great occasion but also a critical part of our final preparation before we face Iran in Los Angeles at the FIFA World Cup 2026.”
Prior to departing for the FIFA World Cup 2026 the All Whites will play two home games in March in Aotearoa New Zealand as part of the FIFA Series 2026.
On Friday 27 March the All Whites will face Finland, the first men’s UEFA side to play in Aotearoa New Zealand in over 30 years, followed by Chile on Monday 30 March.
Both games will be played at Eden Park kicking off at 7pm.