Two of the English Premier League’s top goalscorers will go head-to-head this October when the All Whites take on Norway (FIFA rank 43) in Oslo for an international friendly. 

The match on Wednesday 15 October [NZT], at Ullevaal Stadion, will likely pit Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, currently second in the EPL golden boot race with 19 goals, against All Whites captain Chris Wood, who is the league’s third highest goalscorer after finding the back of the net 18 times so far in his best ever Premier League season. 

Should the All Whites win the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 – Oceania Qualifiers this March 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 of fixtures. 

“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” says 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 Semi-Final of the FIFA World Cup 2026 – Oceania Qualifiers on 21 March 2025 at Sky Stadium in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, with the winner qualifying for the Final on 24 March 2025 at Eden Park in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

The winning team in the FIFA World Cup 2026 – Oceania Qualifiers Final will automatically qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history after the tournament was expanded giving an OFC side direct entry. 

Article added: Wednesday 19 February 2025