Why smart corporate money should be on the All Whites as much as the All Blacks after Fifa World Cup’s massive global impact

Sunday, 12 July 2026

Tony Smith is football writer for The Post and Sunday Star-Times

OPINION: Want to get the best bang for Kiwi marketing buck? Then the All Whites should become a better bet than the All Blacks.

That may sound absurd given the All Blacks are ranked second in the world and the All Whites 85th.

But the footballers are operating in a much bigger marketplace - look at the sheer global reach of the current Fifa World Cup for irrefutable evidence.

Yes, Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s craven kowtowing to the United States has grated: from the risible Fifa Peace Prize to President Donald Trump to the shameful rescinding of the red card to American striker Folarin Balogun.

But the tournament has been terrific, and the world is tuning in as never before. The projected global television audience is expected to reach six billion.

Team sponsors’ exposure is limited at World Cups. Fifa, who strive to clip every ticket, strictly prohibits shirt advertising.

But there are four years between World Cups when the world is a sponsor’s Bluff oyster, and that’s why Kiwi companies should be clamouring to back the All Whites.

Long gone are the days when our footballers played largely under the radar in Oceania or against lowly-ranked Asian opponents.

In the last World Cup quadrennium - 2023 to 2026 - they met teams from Asia, Oceania, South America, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and North America in televised matches.

Their opponents included massive markets such as China, Egypt, Mexico, the United States and England.

The All Blacks regularly play teams from most regions too, but the difference is football is the No1 sport in almost every nation whereas rugby union is, at best, ranked second, or otherwise a niche code.

To most of the world, the All Blacks might as well be from Mars.

For all that, NZ Rugby (NZR) does a great job in making a buck. Its revenue topped $304 million in 2025 - more than 12 times NZ Football’s $24.3m. NZR reaped a cool $142.2m in sponsorship.

International brands are always more likely to back the All Blacks because of their history of success, but the All Whites represent a great opportunity for New Zealand exporters.

They aren’t, and never will be, one of the greatest drawcards in the Fifa whānau, but a smallish fish in a big pond might generate more splash than a bigger finned one floundering in a tinier tarn.

Hence All Whites captain Chris Wood would be better known around the globe than any current All Black - probably any All Black outside the late, great Jonah Lomu. It stands to reason - he has had more than a decade in the English Premier League which draws around three billion sets of eyeballs around the world each year.

So wouldn’t it be smart for Beef & Lamb New Zealand to make Wood their European ambassador?

Elijah Just’s name would be now known in African villages, Brazilian favelas and European salons after his three goals against Iran and Belgium.

Darren Bazeley, the All Whites coach, deliberately targeted games beyond Oceania, including top-20 ranked teams. He sacrificed easy Fifa ranking points for testing encounters with top-40 ranked nations to better prepare his side for the World Cup.

NZF must continue that policy, for footballing reasons first and foremost, but also for marketing potential.

Fifa has five international “windows’’ per year when clubs are required to release players. That’s 10 matches the All Whites will get each year, mostly around the world as it’s logistically easier to play abroad with most players based offshore.

What an opportunity that represents for a savvy sponsor seeking brand recognition.

Various international studies have shown that sports sponsorship offers one of the best returns on investment. A Sportquake.com article said: “Smart brands are turning to sports sponsorship, not just for reach but for the emotional connection”.

That’s why the New Zealand Government will use the Black Caps to reinforce their free trade agreement with India, where Kane Williamson and co are much better known than Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, or Hobbiton for that matter.

New Zealand corporates and government agencies have traditionally backed “winners” in the sports arena - the All Blacks and sundry Olympians.

Nothing wrong with that, of course, and hardly surprising. Football is unlikely to supplant rugby as Kiwis’ favourite code in the foreseeable future, but even the most myopic rugby refuseniks must now be aware of the round ball sport’s potential.

Surely, Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand and major exporters such as Fonterra and Zespri International etc, should be looking to get a slice of the All Whites - or the Football Ferns, who play across Fifa’s six confederations too.

Better, bolder backing - complemented by World Cup participation windfalls - would help NZF get more home games for the All Whites and Ferns too which would be a winner for Kiwi football fans.

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