The Indian men’s national football team will tour New Zealand for two international friendly matches during the FIFA International Match Window in November 2026.The Blue Tigers will face the hosts on November 12 at Go Media Stadium in Auckland before taking on New Zealand again on November 15 at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch.
The fixtures were announced during Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to New Zealand and form part of the commemorative programme marking ‘100 Years of Unity Through Sport’ between the two countries.
The upcoming tour will be India’s first-ever visit to New Zealand and their first trip to a member nation of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) since 2005, when they played two international friendlies against Fiji.
India and New Zealand have met only twice at the senior men’s international level. Their first encounter ended in a goalless draw at the 1981 Merdeka Tournament in Malaysia, while New Zealand claimed a 2-1 victory in the 2018 Intercontinental Cup in Mumbai.
New Zealand head into the series after competing at the FIFA World Cup 2026, where they drew with IR Iran before suffering defeats against Egypt and Belgium in the group stage.
India head coach Khalid Jamil welcomed the opportunity to test his side against World Cup opposition.
“It is always a positive experience to face teams that compete at the highest level. New Zealand are a well-organised side with recent FIFA World Cup experience, and playing away from home against them will be a valuable challenge for our players. We are looking forward to the matches,” Jamil said.
The two-match series is expected to provide India with valuable international exposure as the team continues its preparations for upcoming continental and global competitions.
(Inputs from AIFF)
