New Zealand Football and OFC Collaborate ahead of FIFA World Cup™ 2026

New Zealand Football and the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) have announced a collaboration aimed at elevating the region’s competitiveness ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™.

The partnership, highlighted by the secondment of OFC High Performance Consultant Dave Wright to the All Whites’ recent international camps, represents a pivot toward a “unified Oceania” approach to elite performance.

Wright, an OFC Pro Licensed coach, integrated into the All Whites’ technical staff across tours in Australia, Europe, and the USA.

The initiative is designed to “de-mystify” high-performance campaign planning, allowing Wright to bring proprietary systems and preparation methods back to other OFC Member Associations (MAs) as they vie for the confederation’s expanded World Cup qualification spots.

Commentoing on the collab, All Whites assistant coach, Tony Readings, said: “Continuing to develop the game in Oceania is really important.”

“When opportunities like this are available, we are really keen to share knowledge as well as learn ourselves.

“We look forward to continuing to work closely with OFC going forward,” Readings said

Dave Wright emphasised that this precedent is vital for the region’s survival on the world stage.

“If we are to continue progressing football in Oceania… then we need to continue to share knowledge and experience to ensure our region can compete,” Wright noted.

Regional Development and Coaching Pathways

The All Whites recently welcomed New Caledonia Head Coach Johan Sidaner into their Auckland camp, while also hosting a high-level study visit for Tahitian coaches.

Wright’s insights will be directly applied to the development of National Academy programmes across the region, focusing on match preparation and internal review systems.

The reason behind the ambition to have two Oceania teams represent the confederation at future Men’s and Women’s FIFA World Cups, capitalising on the tournament’s expansion.

The All Whites are currently preparing for the final stages of the OFC Qualifiers, with the organisation focused on securing the top seed to ensure a direct path to the 2026 tournament in North America.

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