The Indian men’s national football team is set to travel to New Zealand for two friendly matches on November 12 and 15. These matches are part of the FIFA International Match Window and were announced by the All India Football Federation. The games are in celebration of ‘100 Years of Unity Through Sport’ between India and New Zealand.
India and New Zealand have met twice before, with a goalless draw in 1981 and New Zealand winning 2-1 in 2018. This upcoming tour will be the Indian team’s first visit to New Zealand and their first trip to an Oceania Football Confederation member nation since 2005 when they played friendlies against Fiji.
New Zealand, having recently participated in the FIFA World Cup 2026, will host India in the friendly matches. India’s head coach, Khalid Jamil, sees this as a valuable challenge for his players, facing a team with recent World Cup experience. The matches are scheduled for November 12 in Auckland and November 15 in Christchurch.
