New Zealand will play their first game at the 2025 FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup in the early hours of Thursday (NZT).
They will play Mali in Qatar, kicking off at 3.45am (NZT).
The game will be streamed live by FIFA+ (see link below) and on TVNZ.
New Zealand, Fiji and New Caledonia are representing Oceania at the 48-nation tournament that runs from November 4-28, 2025 (NZT).
Fiji and New Caledonia played their opening games on Tuesday (NZT).
READ MORE: Fiji, New Caledonia suffer losses in first games at FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup >>>>
New Zealand squad
Will Britton – Western Springs (Auckland Grammar School), New Zealand
Justin Cardozo – Macarthur Bulls, Australia
Aaron Cartwright – Melbourne City, Australia
Joseph Chalabi – Wellington Phoenix (Te Kura), New Zealand
Ethan Dyer – Sydney FC, Australia
Van Fitzharris – Auckland FC (Mount Maunganui College), New Zealand
Toby Borgnis – Reading FC, England
Sean Kane – Eastern Suburbs (St Kentigern College), New Zealand
Damion Kim – East Coast Bays (Westlake Boys High School), New Zealand
Alex Lienard – Sunderland AFC, England
Nathan Martin – Auckland FC (Te Kura), New Zealand
Will Martin – Lions FC, Australia
Evan Masamba Kuzmenko – Auckland FC (Auckland Grammar School), New Zealand
Joe McIntyre – Wellington Phoenix (Hutt International Boys’ School), New Zealand
Dan Nelson – Wellington Phoenix (St Patrick’s College, Silverstream), New Zealand
Matias Nunez – Auckland United (Mount Albert Grammar School), New Zealand
Jackson O’Reilly – Brisbane Roar, Australia
Ben Perez Baldoni – Auckland FC (Selwyn College), New Zealand
Jack Perniskie – Wellington Phoenix (Scots College), New Zealand
Luka Vicelich – Auckland FC (St Peter’s College), New Zealand
Michael Wong – Auckland United (Te Kura), New Zealand
In a change from previous tournaments, all matches excluding the final will be played in a single location, the Aspire Zone in Doha, where games can take place simultaneously across multiple pitches.
The tournament will be streamed live and free on FIFA+, as well as all New Zealand games on TVNZ.
Photo credit: Glenn Carstens-Peters / unsplash.
Fixtures
Game to be played on Thursday November 6, 2025 (NZT)
New Zealand v Mali
Aspire Zone, Doha, 3.45am (NZT)
Game to be played on Sunday November 9, 2025 (NZT)
New Zealand v Saudi Arabia
Aspire Zone, Doha, 4.45am (NZT)
Game to be played on Wednesday November 12, 2025
New Zealand v Austria
Aspire Zone, Doha, 4.45am (NZT)
FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup groups
Group A
Qatar
Italy
South Africa
Bolivia
Group B
Japan
Morocco
New Caledonia
Portugal
Group C
Senegal
Croatia
Costa Rica
United Arab Emirates
Group D
Argentina
Belgium
Tunisia
Fiji
Group E
England
Venezuela
Haiti
Egypt
Group F
Mexico
Korea Republic
Côte d’Ivoire
Switzerland
Group G
Germany
Colombia
Korea DPR
El Salvador
Group H
Brazil
Honduras
Indonesia
Zambia
Group I
USA
Burkina Faso
Tajikistan
Czechia
Group J
Paraguay
Uzbekistan
Panama
Republic of Ireland
Group K
France
Chile
Canada
Uganda
Group L
Mali
New Zealand
Austria
Saudi Arabia
Tournament format
The top two teams in each group, and the eight best third-placed sides, will qualify for the Round of 32.
From the Round of 32 onwards, the tournament will be played in a knockout format.
In knockout fixtures, if a game is level at the end of normal playing time, no extra time shall be played and a penalty shootout will determine the winner of the match.
Previous winners
1985: Nigeria
1987: Soviet Union
1989: Saudi Arabia
1991: Ghana
1993: Nigeria
1995: Ghana
1997: Brazil
1999: Brazil
2001: France
2003: Brazil
2005: Mexico
2007: Nigeria
2009: Switzerland
2011: Mexico
2013: Nigeria
2015: Nigeria
2017: England
2019: Brazil
2023: Germany
This story was first published on November 5, 2025.
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