The All Whites have climbed to their highest FIFA ranking in 12 years following back-to-back wins against Fiji and New Caledonia in the FIFA World Cup – Oceania Qualifiers semi-final and final.

The rise comes on the back of a huge month for Aotearoa New Zealand’s senior men’s team, whose 3–0 win in the final secured qualification for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2010, watched live by over 25,000 fans and more than 700,000 viewers on FIFA+ and TVNZ.

The team has moved up to 86th in the world, their highest position since October 2013, and will now face a full schedule of international matches in the build-up to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Canada, Mexico and the USA.

Next up, the All Whites face Côte d'Ivoire (FIFA rank 46) on Sunday 8 June at 11am NZT (Saturday 7 June at 7pm local time), followed by Ukraine (FIFA rank 25) on Wednesday 11 June at 9am NZT (Tuesday 10 June at 5pm local time), as part of the Canadian Shield tournament in Toronto, Canada.

Andrew Pragnell, CEO of New Zealand Football, said:

“It is a testament to the great work of the players and staff to see the All Whites reach their highest FIFA ranking in 12 years, following qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026, but this is only a step on the journey for this team, who we believe have the potential to go even higher.

“The game is in a great place right now with the team having secured a place at the FIFA World Cup next year, the massive impact of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, the excitement around now having two professional clubs in the A-Leagues, the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, and record numbers of players across the country.

“Football is already New Zealand’s number one team participation sport, but we know that beyond that, there are millions of fans across the country, and we’re excited to bring them on the journey with us to North America next year.”

Article added: Friday 04 April 2025