5am NZT on Wednesday 15 September at Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway

Watch live and free on FIFA+ and TVNZ

The All Whites will be out to turn a strong performance into a result when they meet Norway in Oslo on Wednesday morning (5am NZT), looking to bounce back from a narrow 1–0 defeat to Poland last Friday. 

It will be another tough test for Darren Bazeley’s side. Norway come into the fixture as one of Europe’s form teams, unbeaten in nine matches and fresh from a 5–0 demolition of Israel.

Ordinarily, all eyes would be on Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard, two of world football’s biggest names, but both will be missing (Haaland released back to his club and Ødegaard sidelined through injury) leaving others to take up the spotlight for the Norwegians.

Even without their star duo, Norway boast plenty of top-tier talent, with players drawn from across the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga. For the All Whites, it will be a valuable opportunity to test themselves against elite opposition once again as they build towards the FIFA World Cup 2026. 


Selection options for Bazeley

After playing earlier in the window than on recent tours, the All Whites have enjoyed more recovery time than normal that should leave the full squad available for selection.

Midfielder Owen Parker-Price impressed off the bench on debut against Poland and will be pushing for more minutes as he looks to cement his place in Bazeley’s plans for November.
 

In defence, the partnership of Michael Boxall and Finn Surman looked solid in Chorzów, but Tyler Bindon will be eager to press his case for a starting role after not playing against Poland.

There could also be a debut for George Stanger, called up for the first time at senior level. The Scotland-based defender has already faced Norway once before, part of the New Zealand U-20 side that claimed a memorable 2–0 win at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.


Player to watch: Jørgen Strand Larsen

With Haaland and Alexander Sørloth both unavailable, Wolves striker Jørgen Strand Larsen is expected to lead the line for Norway. The 24-year-old is in good form and will be eager to seize the chance to establish himself as the side’s focal point in attack.


Where to watch

The match kicks off at 5am NZT on Wednesday, live and free on FIFA+ and TVNZ.

Article added: Monday 13 October 2025