The All Whites are relishing the chance to reconnect with fans as they round out a massive 2026 campaign against India this week.

Tomorrow the All Whites kick off the first of two matches against India, which will be the first time the team will play on home soil since the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

The games at Go Media Stadium, Auckland and One NZ Stadium, Christchurch are also part of the '100 Years of Unity through Sport' celebrations between the two nations.

The milestone traces back to 1926, when an Indian Army hockey team toured New Zealand for the first time, bringing players and communities together.

Chris Wood said he’s anticipating it’ll be an exciting spectacle for fans across the two matches.

“The opportunity to be playing in front of our home crowd again is truly fantastic, especially after the World Cup. It's nice to come back and broadcast what we can do to the New Zealand public.

“Any chance we get to play in front of our fans is special. We've spent a lot of time away, travelling around the world, so to be back home and see the support again is something we always look forward to.

“It's brilliant to have India over here. It's going to be a great game, it's going to be exciting, and we're looking for the Indian public to come out and support and enjoy the occasion.

“Football has a way of bringing everybody together, which is fantastic. I think football brings everybody together and it will bring both our nations together for sure,” said the All Whites skipper.

The series against India will also be poignant for departing coach Darren Bazeley, whose tenure at the helm of the All Whites will come to an end after the fulltime whistle in Christchurch.

Bazeley said he’s kept a normal routine coming into these matches against India.

“It's not been that challenging, if I'm honest, because we've just kept it pretty normal, kept our routines and structure and made it as normal as possible.

“I have these moments where I forget, you know, because we're into it and doing what we do. And then it comes back to me a little bit. It's a little bit emotional, but, yeah, we're just getting on with our jobs and we'll prepare as properly and as normally as we do for any normal camp.

“I savour everything anyway. Every moment along the whole journey, I've had great memories and I'm really lucky to be in the position I've been in along the way and enjoyed it.

“I'll make sure I enjoy it and make sure we work hard and do everything we can to help the team perform.”

Chris Wood, full of praise for the departing coach, who took over the role in July 2023.

“There's no other coach that's had as big an impact on New Zealand football throughout the whole of the age groups as Darren has.

“He can be truly proud of what he's been able to give to New Zealand football, give to the New Zealand community and everything like that.”

The All Whites will end 2026 with two games against India starting at Go Media Stadium in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland on 12 November, before playing the first-ever international football match at One New Zealand Stadium in Ōtautahi Christchurch on 15 November.

Tickets for the homecoming games, starting from $10 for children and $20 for adults, plus ticketing fees, can be booked through Ticketek.co.nz.

For those who cannot attend the games, both matches will be broadcast live and free on DAZN, the home of FIFA+, as well as TVNZ.

Both games are part of a series of sporting events to celebrate ‘100 Years of Unity Through Sport’ between India and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Article added: Wednesday 11 November 2026