Two of the English Premier League’s top goalscorers could go head-to-head in October when the All Whites take on Norway in Oslo for an international friendly.
The match on Wednesday, October 14 (October 15 NZ Time) at Ullevaal Stadion will likely pit Manchester City’s Erling Haaland against All Whites captain Chris Wood.
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Harling has 19 goals for City, four fewer than Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, while Wood has 18 goals in his best Premier League season.
Should the All Whites win the FIFA World Cup Oceania Qualifiers next month in Wellington and Auckland, to secure a place at the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Canada, Mexico and the USA, the match will form a critical part of the team’s build-up programme.
“We are fully focused on March’s Oceania Qualifiers, but if we win and secure a place at the FIFA World Cup 2026, it is critical that we face top players and opposition to put us in the best position to perform at the tournament” said All Whites head coach Darren Bazeley.
“We absolutely are not taking anything for granted this March, but if we come through the qualifiers, we need to have a full programme of games lined up so we have been working hard in the background to lock in some top tier fixtures to really test ourselves against the sort of sides we could face in 2026.
“This Norway side has some world-class talent playing in top leagues around the world, so will be a real challenge but a challenge we embrace and are looking forward to.”
The All Whites will face Fiji in the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup Oceania Qualifiers on March 21 at Sky Stadium in Wellington, with the winner qualifying for the final on March 24 at Eden Park in Auckland.
The Oceania champions will automatically qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history after the tournament was expanded to 48 nations, giving an OFC side direct entry.