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New Zealand and Fiji will square off in the first leg of the semifinal of the OFC section of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on Friday (March 21st). The game will be played at Wellington Regional Stadium.
The hosts are coming into the game on the back of an 8-0 thrashing away to Samoa in the last round of the qualifiers in November 2024. Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood was the star of the show as he scored a hat-trick while Callum McCowatt, Marko Stamenic, Francis De Vries, Elijah Just and Ben Waine scored a goal each to inspire the rout.
Fiji, meanwhile, claimed maximum points with a 3-1 win over Solomon Islands in a friendly in December 2024. Gabrieli Matanisiga, Sairusi Nalaubu and Thomas Dunn scored a goal each while Atken Kaua pulled one back in the 79th minute.
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The Bula Boys will shift their focus to competitive action, having booked their spot at this stage of the qualifiers as Group A runners-up. New Zealand finished top of Group B.
The winner of this tie faces either New Caledonia or Tahiti for a direct spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
New Zealand vs Fiji Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the 41st meeting between the two sides. New Zealand have 31 wins to their name, and four games were drawn while Fiji were victorious five times.
- Their most recent clash came in March 2022 when New Zealand claimed a 4-0 home win in the World Cup qualifiers.
- Fourteen of the last 15 head-to-head games have seen one side keep a clean sheet.
- Nine of New Zealand's last 10 games have produced three goals or more.
- Five of Fiji's last six games have witnessed goals at both ends.
- New Zealand form guide: W-W-W-W-W Fiji form guide: W-W-D-D-D
New Zealand vs Fiji Prediction
New Zealand breezed through the last round of the qualifiers, winning all three games, scoring 19 goals, and conceding just one. The All Whites are well-positioned to qualify for a third World Cup and first since 2010, with their charge led by the red-hot Chris Wood.
Fiji are unbeaten in their last nine games (four wins) but have lost each of the last five head-to-head matches in this fixture.
We are backing the hosts to claim a comfortable win with goals at both ends.
Prediction: New Zealand 4-1 Fiji
New Zealand vs Fiji Betting Tips
Tip 1 - New Zealand to win
Tip 2 - Both teams to score
Tip 3 - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 4 - New Zealand to score over 1.5 goals
