Indian Football Team to Play Historic Two-Match Friendly Series Against New Zealand

The Indian football team is set to have a historic trip down under to New Zealand for a two-match International Friendly against New Zealand later this year.

The Blue Tigers will be up for a big challenge against the White Ferns, as the latter qualified for the World Cup 2026 and put up a decent show despite a group stage exit.

India vs New Zealand Match Schedule

• 12 November 2026: India vs New Zealand at Go Media Stadium, Auckland.
• 15 November 2026: India vs New Zealand at One NZ Stadium, Christchurch.

New Zealand Football officially confirmed the fixtures, describing it as the All Whites' "coming home" and announcing presale tickets from 20 July.

The tour ties into Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to New Zealand and forms part of the "100 Years of Unity Through Sport" celebrations marking a century of sporting relations between the two nations since the 1926 Indian Army hockey tour.

New Zealand, as a qualified participant for the FIFA World Cup 2026, offers India valuable exposure against competitive opposition. These friendlies represent a rare high-profile international outing for the Blue Tigers, who continue building momentum amid domestic league developments and preparations for future Asian competitions.

The Indian football team has endured a tough time in the last few months or so. With just one win in their last 11 matches, the Blue Tigers have slipped to 138 in latest FIFA rankings. They recently lost to Jamaica and Zimbabwe, and then remained winless in a two-match series against Tajikistan as well.

On the other hand, New Zealand qualified for the World Cup but failed to get past the group stages. They drew 2-2 against Iran, but lost to Egypt and Belgium for an early exit.