1:30pm NZT on Sunday 16 November at Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA


Watch live and free on FIFA+ and TVNZ

With under a month to go until the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw, the All Whites end 2025 facing two South American sides, meaning they will have taken on teams from every FIFA confederation ahead of the tournament.

This weekend’s opponents, however, are the toughest test so far, with world number 13 Colombia waiting for Darren Bazeley’s side at Chase Stadium, home of MLS club Inter Miami.

After encouraging performances against highly ranked teams last month, the 1-1 draw with Norway and the narrow 1-0 loss to Poland, the team will be looking to build on that momentum and end the year on a high.

But Colombia are stacked with talent, including star names such as James Rodríguez and Luis Díaz, so will pose a major threat across the pitch.

They are also in excellent form, undefeated since March and already qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, finishing third in CONMEBOL ahead of the likes of Brazil.


Who is in contention to play?

Head coach Darren Bazeley has had to adjust his selection for this tour, losing a number of regulars to injury, including Chris Wood, Liberato Cacace, Callum McCowatt, Ryan Thomas, Tim Payne and Alex Paulsen. But this window also offers opportunities for others to impress, knowing there are only limited seats available on the flight to the FIFA World Cup 2026.

After missing both games in the previous window through injury, Joe Bell’s return is a major boost, with the midfielder one of Bazeley’s most consistent starters.

Up top, there is a battle to start in place of Chris Wood, with Kosta Barbarouses and Ben Waine the two most likely candidates. Jesse Randall, a late addition to the squad, could also push himself into contention after a strong start to the season with Auckland FC.

At the pre-match press conference the team confirmed they would be using all six substitutes, which could see debuts for the two uncapped players in the squad: George Stanger and Kees Sims, the goalkeeper named in his first All Whites squad for this tour.


What head coach Darren Bazeley has said:

“It’s good for us to test ourselves against one of the best teams in the world. Everything we’re doing is trying to prepare for the World Cup.

“We qualified really early, so we’ve had a longer time than most to prepare and play preparation games.

“This window, with Colombia and Ecuador, gives us two games that could be similar to the type of opposition we get drawn against at the World Cup. It will be a really good test to see where we’re at and what we need to work on moving forward.”


Player to watch: Luis Díaz

The Colombian side is full of quality, but it is Bayern Munich’s Luis Díaz who is arguably the biggest threat on current form.

A Premier League winner with Liverpool, Díaz’s $150 million move to Germany has seen him continue his rich vein of form, scoring 11 goals in 17 games.

The 28-year-old has also excelled for his country, finishing joint-second highest scorer in the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers with seven goals, one behind Lionel Messi.


Where to watch

The match kicks off at 1:30pm NZT on Sunday, live and free on FIFA+ and TVNZ.

Article added: Sunday 16 November 2025