All Whites to face title contender England in final hit-out before FIFA World Cup
Thursday, 12 February 2026
The All Whites will face one of the leading title contenders in their final hit-out before the FIFA World Cup in June.
A friendly against 1966 champions England has been confirmed for June 6 (June 7 NZ time).
The match will be New Zealand’s last before their World Cup opener against Iran in Los Angeles on June 15 (June 16 NZ time) and will be played in Florida.
A specific city and venue has not been announced, but reports in the English media have indicated it will be played in Tampa.
World No 4 England will be the highest-ranked opponent the world No 85 All Whites have faced since losing to world No 1 Spain 5-0 at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
All Whites coach Darren Bazeley said in a statement: “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.”
The All Whites have played England twice previously – when they toured New Zealand for a pair of matches in 1991 to mark NZ Football’s centenary.
The visitors won 1-0 in Auckland and 2-0 in Wellington.
All Whites captain Chris Wood and fellow potential World Cup starters Matt Garbett, Tyler Bindon and Max Crocombe all play their club football for English teams.
Marko Stamenić and vice-captain Liberato Cacace play for Welsh clubs that play in the English Championship.
England have the second-lowest odds to win the World Cup at the TAB, listed at $6.50, behind only Spain ($5).
Those two teams met in the final of the 2024 European Championship, with Spain prevailing 2-1.
France ($8), Argentina ($9) and Brazil ($9) are the other teams with single-figure odds.
The All Whites are among are group of 10 teams listed at $501, including Australia and their group G rivals, Iran.
NZ Football is understood to still be exploring the possibility of playing another match in North America ahead of the World Cup.
That fixture, if confirmed, is set to be played ahead of the England match in the first week of June.
A report has mooted Haiti as a potential opponent on June 2. NZ Football sources have indicated the All Whites’ plans are still fluid.
Clubs have to release their players ahead of the World Cup on May 25 – the Monday after the final round of the English Premier League season and the A-League Men final.
Bazeley will bring his squad into camp shortly after that.
Their exact movements are still to be confirmed, but they will be based on the west coast of North America during the tournament proper.
The All Whites are next in action in Auckland at the end of March, playing Finland and Chile.
Wood is expected to miss those matches as he recovers from knee surgery he had just prior to Christmas.
The All Whites’ squad for March is expected to be announced two weeks out, around the 10th of that month.
All Whites – 2026 fixtures
Friendlies (NZ time)
March 27, 7pm: v Finland; Eden Park, Auckland
March 30, 7pm: v Chile; Eden Park
June 7, TBC: v England; TBC
World Cup fixtures (NZ time)
June 16, 1pm: v Iran; SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
June 22, 1pm: v Egypt; BC Place, Vancouver
June 27, 3pm: v Belgium; BC Place