New Zealand vs Chile – News and Probable Lineups

The host nation, New Zealand, must secure a win at Eden Park on Monday to revive their 2026 FIFA Series campaign as they face Chile in their last match of the friendly tournament.

The All Whites are currently at the bottom of their ‘pre-arranged’ group after a 2–0 loss to Finland in their opening match. In contrast, La Roja sits atop the group after a 4–2 victory against Cape Verde leading up to this clash.

Match overview

The 2026 FIFA intercontinental friendly tournament features nine groups, with each declaring a winner following two rounds of matches. Every group is played using one of two formats: the pre-arranged fixtures or the final-four setup.

While the latter follows a knockout format that includes semi-finals and a final, the former adopts a mini-league structure, where the team with the highest points from two matches is crowned champion of the series.

Under the pre-arranged fixtures model, the New Zealand group finds the hosts at the bottom after goals from Joel Pohjanpalo and Jaakko Oksanen resulted in a victory for Finland, leaving Darren Bazeley’s squad in dire need of a win over Chile to keep their chances of topping the group alive.

However, this mission seems daunting for the All Whites, who have not won in their last eight matches (D1, L7), failing to score in four of those games and conceding at least two goals in each of their last three.

This downturn is a stark contrast to an earlier phase when New Zealand secured seven consecutive victories between October 11, 2024, and June 8, 2025, scoring a minimum of three goals in six of those matches and keeping six clean sheets — a run that guaranteed their place in the 2026 World Cup.

Placed in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and Iran — whose participation is still uncertain — this fixture also serves as crucial preparation for the 86th-ranked team in the FIFA World Rankings ahead of the global tournament.

On the other hand, Chile ranks 52nd globally and did not qualify for the World Cup after finishing at the bottom of the CONMEBOL qualifying table, concluding their campaign nine points behind the playoff position.

La Roja ended their qualifiers without a victory in six matches (D2, L4), drawing blanks throughout that span, but they seem to be on the upswing under Nicolas Cordova, winning each of their last four matches.

There’s also been a significant improvement in their attacking play, with Chile netting at least two goals in all four of those matches, including Friday’s victory over 10-man Cape Verde, where second-half goals from Maximiliano Gutierrez, Felipe Loyola, and Gonzalo Tapia ensured a comeback win.

Sitting atop the New Zealand group thanks to their superior goal return against Finland, another win on Monday would bolster La Roja’s chances of finishing as group winners, and they will take confidence from having won three of their last four encounters against this opponent (W3, D1).

Team News

New Zealand may be without defender Francis De Vries, who had to leave the field due to injury in the previous match against Finland.

If De Vries is unable to recover in time, James McGarry — his substitute in that match — is likely to continue in the left-back position.

Additionally, Jesse Randall impressed with a spirited second-half appearance, and the 23-year-old forward might be rewarded with a starting position in the attack.

On the Chilean side, they emerged from their encounter with Cape Verde without any visible injury issues, suggesting a similar lineup could be used once more, although the head coach might continue to rotate players to ensure minutes are fairly shared across the squad.

Derby County forward Ben Brereton Diaz is expected to lead the attack after scoring last time out, while Gutierrez — who contributed with both a goal and an assist — should maintain his spot on the right wing.

Loyola and Tapia are vying for starting roles after making impacts from the bench, while Benjamin Chandia may get another chance in the lineup after providing an assist on his senior debut.

New Zealand probable starting XI:

Crocombe; Payne, Surman, Bindon, McGarry; Stamenic, Thomas; Old, Just, Randall; Waine

Chile probable starting XI:

Vigouroux; Garguez, Roman, Kuscevic, Suazo; Pizarro, Echeverria; Gutierrez, Cepeda, Millan; Brereton

This match features two teams on diverging paths, with Chile currently possessing the momentum and appearing well-positioned to claim victory, although New Zealand will be keen to step up in front of their home fans.

Despite a recent resurgence in form, La Roja have shown vulnerabilities in defense, providing New Zealand with the opportunity to score, but the visitors’ stronger attacking flow should ultimately be the deciding factor.