March 28, 2025 • 9 mins
The All Whites have secured their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The team beat New Caledonia 3-0 on Monday night.
How will the New Zealand team prepare for the World Cup?
New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell talks to Piney.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks, EDB of.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Turner and herberts Off, Nilson and Facilits of Reed and
Smelt Spain in nineteen eighty ZWO South Africa twenty ten
and now the United States, Canada and Mexico twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Yes, the All Whites securing their passage to the FIFA
World Cup next year beating New Caledonia three nil in
the Oceania qualifying final at Eden Park on Monday night.
Eventually that was it was nil all after an hour,
but I think eventually got the job done. I think
we all thought that they would and so it proved
to be. But how now can the side be given
(00:49):
the best preparation to succeed in North America next June.
New Zealand football CEO Andrew Pragnell is with us to
answer that question. Actually, before we do, Andrew, will you
at all nervous as it was playing out on Monday
night when it was goals for the best part out
of an hour.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Yeah, okay, it's wearing one of the footbits on my
wrist and the heart rate was going at about the
same as a decent spot sort of run.
Speaker 5 (01:15):
So yeah, that's the next few minutes.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
We're pretty tense, you know, we all know football is
a game of type margins and anything can happen, so
but great to see the boys get the job done.
Speaker 6 (01:25):
Absolutely well.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
If we look ahead now, there are five fee for
windows between now and the World Cup in the middle
of next year. How keen are you to have the
All Whites play in most or all of those windows.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Yeah, we'll definitely be playing in every single one without
a doubt. And qualifying early gives us more opportunity too,
so there will be those who are beginning to qualify
as obviously the hosts, so yeah, absolutely, and we're looking
for you know, obviously a ranger styles, we're looking for
a range of locations or definitely targeting the North America
(01:59):
in the area in which we've qualified into. And obviously
we're looking at high quality opposition. We are our team
is much better than with their current ranking and they
can do things at this World Cup.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Do you think the All Whites will be an attractive
proposition for potential opponents?
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Yeah, I think we've shown in the last couple of
years as we've begun to play.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
You know it's a.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Nazia's, Egypt's guitars, US Mexicos, that we are an appealing team.
We're you know, we're one thing about Kiwi's and the
supplies beyond the football spaces were used to traveling and
going on the road, and we're willing to move, so
we're adaptable and flexible. But also people know that we've
got four players on the Premier League clubs. They know
(02:40):
we've got one of the best strikers in the world,
and and we've shown it, I think in the type
of opposition we've got, so I expect you it'll be
predominantly top fifty opposition. But also looking at styles, I mean,
the draw is in December this year, and so the
US standards set of procedure for the drawers.
Speaker 5 (02:59):
Everyone has their phones at hand and you're.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Generally looking to play light for like opposition depending on
what you get out of the drawer.
Speaker 5 (03:07):
So that'll be interesting.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Also, of course, the majority of the windows fall before
the draw, don't they, So I guess you can't really
take that into account for the windows this year.
Speaker 6 (03:16):
But how does it all work, Andrew?
Speaker 3 (03:19):
I mean, you don't just pick up the phone to
the CEO of another football you know, federation and say hey,
do you fancy your game?
Speaker 6 (03:26):
How does it all work logistically?
Speaker 5 (03:28):
It is a real mixed approach.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
We've got believe it or not, sometimes that does happen.
So there's there is a CEO to ceo and some
of our match fixtures are arranged from letters direct from
the as the General Secretary as they call them to
the General Secretary.
Speaker 5 (03:43):
Some of them are where we have strong.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Relationships, particularly around Asia Pacific. We've got now people in
our management team who have strong work relationships around that
sort of particularly in that Pacific room space AFC and
conk V. And then we've got match agents as well,
so you shid a real range of match agents and
it's a bit like sometimes you then with car dealer
(04:07):
type characters and other times you are no disrespected to guardialists.
But you know there's a there's a real array of
people in there and so yeah, there's a whole different message.
But I expect that we'll be rereaching out pretty much
the night of the drawer to help organize opposition.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
How likely or not is it that we'll see the
All Whites at home again before the World Cup.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
There's probable.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
I mean, it's certainly performance has to take the paramount
consideration here and I think that you know, if before
the World Cup we get games and locations that would
best performance outside of New Zealand, that should be the priorie.
I think kiwis want to see us when at this
World Cup. Having said that, you know, we've really put
(04:52):
a huge effort over the last few years into bringing
both teams home, playing at home every single year, building
the brand of the teams, and it's paying off. So
we're working on some factures I did. I think I said,
I'm pretty care to bring them home this year again.
I think there's a real growing bars in New Zealand
around this team, and so yeah, very keen to bring
(05:12):
home in at least once this year and then next year.
Performance in the draw will drive drive those. But certainly
if we got we were bringing them home again before,
you know, sitting off a should be lovely.
Speaker 6 (05:22):
What about a home and away series against Australia.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Yeah, I mean I think we've always pursued those. We've
We've had quite a few of us in the Fern site.
We managed to you know, and they found their soccer
rashes and someone's head. We managed to dig both out
and play them. We played the home and away series
in twenty twenty one, so certainly very very keen on that.
We've obviously the relationship with Football Australia is very very strong.
(05:48):
It's probably strategically one of our most important relationships sitting
in different confederations.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
I know you've been so yeah, we keep doing that.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Their challenge is that the Asian Football Confederation World Cup
qualifying process is so long. But they've just had a
great wind, you know, for them two wins. It looks
like they're high in their group, so I think that
makes them more likely. So you will be in dialogue
with them over coming weeks for sure.
Speaker 6 (06:15):
All right, look forward to that.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
How strong a feeling, Andrew, do you get from the
players and the coaching staff that they want to play
well at the World Cup, win games at the World Cup,
not just be there to make up the numbers.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
Yeah, I mean, is they know what they're capable of.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
They absolutely want to break new ground. Everyone remembers twenty ten, Well,
it was phenomenal time for the game. But look, this
is the greatest group of talent we've ever had right now,
and they definitely can you know they're on the verge
of a breakout performance and they're so young as well.
(06:53):
They think the exciting thing is obviously our focus will
be squarely on twenty six, but this is a squad
who could be pretty much carry right through to twenty.
Speaker 5 (07:01):
Thirty as well.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
So not only you know twenty six is first and
foremost the focus, but this could be a group that
really carries on and takes the takes the game to
new heights.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
How big a financial boost is World Cup qualification for
New Zealand football.
Speaker 5 (07:17):
It's really significant. Look, I think we've come a long way.
Those of your listeners who are.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Followed the national body over the decades will remember there's
you know, it used to be a time when it
was very much to burn bus type organization and pretty
regular financial trouble.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
We've moved from that. Said, if we if you know
I had a disastrous.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
Not on Monday and things had gone wrong, we were
still pretty solent. We were gonna it's gonna be real challenges,
but we would have pushed on.
Speaker 5 (07:48):
But this is this is a material boost.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
It allows us to keep and gting down into our
federations more and more money.
Speaker 5 (07:54):
More and more resources into the community game.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
It allows us to keep keep running and maintaining our
nine international teams who are around the world constantly.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
Uh, and it also lets us have a closer to
look at our domestic positions too.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
So you know that we've made some big format changes
through COVID, but I think there's some excitement to try
and keep those growing, expanding from our from our clubs
to participate in them.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
So yeah, it's it's really big.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
The game's growing and it needs more resource to sustain
its growth, so it comes.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
It's very timely, let's put it that way.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Well, I can understand why the heart rate was a
but on the on the high side at nilaw when
Chris Wood went off Andrew.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Yes, exactly, yeah, yeah, no, it was I think myself
and the CFO, we're looking at each other aware of
the consequences and.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
You know, it's just it's great.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
I mean, obviously we would have been disastrous not to
have gone through, but the team is, the team has
played well and yeah, and some exciting fixtures coming up.
Speaker 6 (08:53):
Absolutely. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Just before you go, where are we with the appointment
of a new permanent Football Funds coach?
Speaker 6 (08:57):
Any progress there that's on the market.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
The team is leaving this weekend x J only's tape.
Just keep them out for those games.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
In particular the the the international match, a match that
will be played in broadcast, so we should have a spander.
Market be just closing and I believe we'll be interviewing
Ford over April May. We're looking to a point sometime
around Joan.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
Good stuff. Good update.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Hey Andrew bar I'm glad that it all worked out
on Monday night, not just for you but for the
football community here.
Speaker 6 (09:29):
The All Whites can look forward to another trip.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
To the World Cup. Always good to chat mate. Thanks
for taking the time.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Appreciate that Bony take care you take.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Care to Andrew thinks indeed Andrew Pregnant, CEO of New
Zealand Football, joining us on Weekends Sport after the All
Whites secured their ticket to the World Cup next year.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks, EDB of.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Turner and herberts Off, Nilson and Facilits of Reed and
Smelt Spain in nineteen eighty ZWO South Africa twenty ten
and now the United States, Canada and Mexico twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Yes, the All Whites securing their passage to the FIFA
World Cup next year beating New Caledonia three nil in
the Oceania qualifying final at Eden Park on Monday night.
Eventually that was it was nil all after an hour,
but I think eventually got the job done. I think
we all thought that they would and so it proved
to be. But how now can the side be given
(00:49):
the best preparation to succeed in North America next June.
New Zealand football CEO Andrew Pragnell is with us to
answer that question. Actually, before we do, Andrew, will you
at all nervous as it was playing out on Monday
night when it was goals for the best part out
of an hour.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
Yeah, okay, it's wearing one of the footbits on my
wrist and the heart rate was going at about the
same as a decent spot sort of run.
Speaker 5 (01:15):
So yeah, that's the next few minutes.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
We're pretty tense, you know, we all know football is
a game of type margins and anything can happen, so
but great to see the boys get the job done.
Speaker 6 (01:25):
Absolutely well.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
If we look ahead now, there are five fee for
windows between now and the World Cup in the middle
of next year. How keen are you to have the
All Whites play in most or all of those windows.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
Yeah, we'll definitely be playing in every single one without
a doubt. And qualifying early gives us more opportunity too,
so there will be those who are beginning to qualify
as obviously the hosts, so yeah, absolutely, and we're looking
for you know, obviously a ranger styles, we're looking for
a range of locations or definitely targeting the North America
(01:59):
in the area in which we've qualified into. And obviously
we're looking at high quality opposition. We are our team
is much better than with their current ranking and they
can do things at this World Cup.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Do you think the All Whites will be an attractive
proposition for potential opponents?
Speaker 4 (02:14):
Yeah, I think we've shown in the last couple of
years as we've begun to play.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
You know it's a.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
Nazia's, Egypt's guitars, US Mexicos, that we are an appealing team.
We're you know, we're one thing about Kiwi's and the
supplies beyond the football spaces were used to traveling and
going on the road, and we're willing to move, so
we're adaptable and flexible. But also people know that we've
got four players on the Premier League clubs. They know
(02:40):
we've got one of the best strikers in the world,
and and we've shown it, I think in the type
of opposition we've got, so I expect you it'll be
predominantly top fifty opposition. But also looking at styles, I mean,
the draw is in December this year, and so the
US standards set of procedure for the drawers.
Speaker 5 (02:59):
Everyone has their phones at hand and you're.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Generally looking to play light for like opposition depending on
what you get out of the drawer.
Speaker 5 (03:07):
So that'll be interesting.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Also, of course, the majority of the windows fall before
the draw, don't they, So I guess you can't really
take that into account for the windows this year.
Speaker 6 (03:16):
But how does it all work, Andrew?
Speaker 3 (03:19):
I mean, you don't just pick up the phone to
the CEO of another football you know, federation and say hey,
do you fancy your game?
Speaker 6 (03:26):
How does it all work logistically?
Speaker 5 (03:28):
It is a real mixed approach.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
We've got believe it or not, sometimes that does happen.
So there's there is a CEO to ceo and some
of our match fixtures are arranged from letters direct from
the as the General Secretary as they call them to
the General Secretary.
Speaker 5 (03:43):
Some of them are where we have strong.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Relationships, particularly around Asia Pacific. We've got now people in
our management team who have strong work relationships around that
sort of particularly in that Pacific room space AFC and
conk V. And then we've got match agents as well,
so you shid a real range of match agents and
it's a bit like sometimes you then with car dealer
(04:07):
type characters and other times you are no disrespected to guardialists.
But you know there's a there's a real array of
people in there and so yeah, there's a whole different message.
But I expect that we'll be rereaching out pretty much
the night of the drawer to help organize opposition.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
How likely or not is it that we'll see the
All Whites at home again before the World Cup.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
There's probable.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
I mean, it's certainly performance has to take the paramount
consideration here and I think that you know, if before
the World Cup we get games and locations that would
best performance outside of New Zealand, that should be the priorie.
I think kiwis want to see us when at this
World Cup. Having said that, you know, we've really put
(04:52):
a huge effort over the last few years into bringing
both teams home, playing at home every single year, building
the brand of the teams, and it's paying off. So
we're working on some factures I did. I think I said,
I'm pretty care to bring them home this year again.
I think there's a real growing bars in New Zealand
around this team, and so yeah, very keen to bring
(05:12):
home in at least once this year and then next year.
Performance in the draw will drive drive those. But certainly
if we got we were bringing them home again before,
you know, sitting off a should be lovely.
Speaker 6 (05:22):
What about a home and away series against Australia.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
Yeah, I mean I think we've always pursued those. We've
We've had quite a few of us in the Fern site.
We managed to you know, and they found their soccer
rashes and someone's head. We managed to dig both out
and play them. We played the home and away series
in twenty twenty one, so certainly very very keen on that.
We've obviously the relationship with Football Australia is very very strong.
(05:48):
It's probably strategically one of our most important relationships sitting
in different confederations.
Speaker 5 (05:54):
I know you've been so yeah, we keep doing that.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Their challenge is that the Asian Football Confederation World Cup
qualifying process is so long. But they've just had a
great wind, you know, for them two wins. It looks
like they're high in their group, so I think that
makes them more likely. So you will be in dialogue
with them over coming weeks for sure.
Speaker 6 (06:15):
All right, look forward to that.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
How strong a feeling, Andrew, do you get from the
players and the coaching staff that they want to play
well at the World Cup, win games at the World Cup,
not just be there to make up the numbers.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
Yeah, I mean, is they know what they're capable of.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
They absolutely want to break new ground. Everyone remembers twenty ten, Well,
it was phenomenal time for the game. But look, this
is the greatest group of talent we've ever had right now,
and they definitely can you know they're on the verge
of a breakout performance and they're so young as well.
(06:53):
They think the exciting thing is obviously our focus will
be squarely on twenty six, but this is a squad
who could be pretty much carry right through to twenty.
Speaker 5 (07:01):
Thirty as well.
Speaker 4 (07:03):
So not only you know twenty six is first and
foremost the focus, but this could be a group that
really carries on and takes the takes the game to
new heights.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
How big a financial boost is World Cup qualification for
New Zealand football.
Speaker 5 (07:17):
It's really significant. Look, I think we've come a long way.
Those of your listeners who are.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
Followed the national body over the decades will remember there's
you know, it used to be a time when it
was very much to burn bus type organization and pretty
regular financial trouble.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
We've moved from that. Said, if we if you know
I had a disastrous.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
Not on Monday and things had gone wrong, we were
still pretty solent. We were gonna it's gonna be real challenges,
but we would have pushed on.
Speaker 5 (07:48):
But this is this is a material boost.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
It allows us to keep and gting down into our
federations more and more money.
Speaker 5 (07:54):
More and more resources into the community game.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
It allows us to keep keep running and maintaining our
nine international teams who are around the world constantly.
Speaker 5 (08:03):
Uh, and it also lets us have a closer to
look at our domestic positions too.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
So you know that we've made some big format changes
through COVID, but I think there's some excitement to try
and keep those growing, expanding from our from our clubs
to participate in them.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
So yeah, it's it's really big.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
The game's growing and it needs more resource to sustain
its growth, so it comes.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
It's very timely, let's put it that way.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
Well, I can understand why the heart rate was a
but on the on the high side at nilaw when
Chris Wood went off Andrew.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
Yes, exactly, yeah, yeah, no, it was I think myself
and the CFO, we're looking at each other aware of
the consequences and.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
You know, it's just it's great.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
I mean, obviously we would have been disastrous not to
have gone through, but the team is, the team has
played well and yeah, and some exciting fixtures coming up.
Speaker 6 (08:53):
Absolutely. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Just before you go, where are we with the appointment
of a new permanent Football Funds coach?
Speaker 6 (08:57):
Any progress there that's on the market.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
The team is leaving this weekend x J only's tape.
Just keep them out for those games.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
In particular the the the international match, a match that
will be played in broadcast, so we should have a spander.
Market be just closing and I believe we'll be interviewing
Ford over April May. We're looking to a point sometime
around Joan.
Speaker 6 (09:22):
Good stuff. Good update.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
Hey Andrew bar I'm glad that it all worked out
on Monday night, not just for you but for the
football community here.
Speaker 6 (09:29):
The All Whites can look forward to another trip.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
To the World Cup. Always good to chat mate. Thanks
for taking the time.
Speaker 4 (09:33):
Appreciate that Bony take care you take.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Care to Andrew thinks indeed Andrew Pregnant, CEO of New
Zealand Football, joining us on Weekends Sport after the All
Whites secured their ticket to the World Cup next year.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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