New Zealand's opponents Chile: 10 things you might want to know

By Chris Hood

Chile will provide the All Whites with their last game on home soil before they head to the United States for the FIFA Men’s World Cup in June.

They’ll meet in the final game of the four-nation FIFA Series to be staged at Auckland’s Eden Park on Monday March 30, 2026.

La Roja are #52 in the FIFA men’s world rankings, while New Zealand are #85, Finland are #75 and Cape Verde are #67.

Chile go into the match, having beaten Cape Verde 4-2 in Friday’s series opener, while the All Whites will look to rebound after their 2-0 loss to Finland.

Here are 10 things you might want to know about Chile.

1. Familiar opponents for the All Whites

Chile are the team New Zealand have faced most often from South America.

The All Whites have recorded one draw and three losses in four previous meetings, including a scoreless draw in Auckland in 1998, which was part of Chile’s preparation for the 1998 FIFA Men’s World Cup in France.

New Zealand lost to Chile twice in 2006 (4-1 and 1-0). Shane Smeltz scored the only goal for the All Whites, who were captained on the tour by current Auckland FC assistant coach Danny Hay.

Hay also played in the 1998 draw.

The South American side — known as La Roja — will be the first CONMEBOL nation to play in New Zealand since Peru visited Wellington for a FIFA World Cup intercontinental play-off in 2017.

2. A long football history

Chile have appeared at nine FIFA World Cup finals.

They did not qualify for the 2026 tournament and are currently in a rebuilding phase following the gradual exit of several senior players.

3. Best World Cup performance

Chile’s best result came when they hosted the 1962 World Cup.

They beat Yugoslavia 1-0 to finish third, with Leonel Sánchez scoring four goals at the tournament.

4. Copa America success

Chile won their first Copa America title in 2015, beating Argentina on penalties in the final on home soil.

They defended the title the following year by beating Argentina again in a penalty shootout at the Copa America Centenario in the United States.

5. A golden generation winding down

Chile are transitioning after the peak of a golden generation.

Experienced players such as Gary Medel, Arturo Vidal, Alexis Sánchez and Eduardo Vargas have either retired or featured only sparingly in recent seasons.

6. Strong Premier League links

Sixteen Chilean players have appeared in the English Premier League.

Alexis Sanchez … one of the greatest players to come out of Chile.

Forward Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal and Manchester United) is the country’s record cap holder (168) and leading goalscorer (51 goals), while goalkeeper Claudio Bravo won the Premier League with Manchester City in 2018.

As a 17-year-old, Sánchez made his full international debut against New Zealand.

7. Club success in South America

Colo-Colo remain Chile’s most successful club internationally.

They won the Copa Libertadores in 1991, becoming the first Chilean team to claim South America’s premier club competition.

Midfielder Marco Rojas, capped 46 times for New Zealand, played for Colo-Colo in 2022-23, fulfilling his dream of playing in the birth country of his father.

Marco Rojas … The All White played 13 times for Colo-Colo.
8. Other New Zealand connections

Chilean U-20 international midfielder Luis Felipe Gallegos plays for men’s A-League club Auckland FC. In 2019, he was called up for the full national squad for a friendly against Peru, but the match was cancelled. He remains uncapped at top level.

Two-cap Chile international Patricio Almendra had two spells in New Zealand, playing for Lower Hutt City in 1998 and joining Auckland-based Football Kingz in the Australian National Soccer League in 2002-03.

Having built a coaching/management career over the past decade, he recently left his role as manager of second-tier Chile club Deportes Concepción.

9. Great names from the past

Chile have produced some outstanding players across different eras.

Iván Zamorano and Marcelo Salas formed a prolific strike partnership for Chile, playing together at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

In club football, Zamorano scored 247 goals in 504 matches, playing in Chile, Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Mexico. Highlights included winning La Liga in 1995 with Real Madrid and the UEFA Cup in 1998 with Inter Milan.

Chile international George Robledo became the first South American to win the English FA Cup when he helped Newcastle United to lift the trophy in 1951.

Nicolás Córdova.
10. In the dugout

Nicolás Córdova is the current interim head coach of Chile, and has coached their national U-20 team.

He took over the role from Argentine Ricardo Gareca, who coached Peru in their 2017 FIFA World Cup play-offs against the All Whites.

Córdova is tasked with rebuilding the national team following the decline of its golden generation.

New Zealand

(Player, caps/goals, club)

Goalkeepers
Max Crocombe (20/0), Millwall, England
Alex Paulsen (5/0), Lechia Gdańsk, Poland (on loan from AFC Bournemouth)
Michael Woud (6/0), Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand

Defenders
Tyler Bindon (21/3), Sheffield United, England (on loan from Nottingham Forest)
Francis de Vries (16/1), Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand
Callan Elliot (8/0), Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand
James McGarry (4/0), Brisbane Roar, Australia
Tim Payne (49/3), Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand
Finn Surman (14/2), Portland Timbers, United States
Bill Tuiloma (45/4), Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand

Midfielders
Lachlan Bayliss (1/0), Newcastle Jets, Australia
Joe Bell (29/1), Viking FK, Norway
Andre de Jong (12/2), Orlando Pirates, South Africa
Callum McCowatt (29/4), Silkeborg IF, Denmark
Ben Old (19/1), AS Saint-Étienne, France
Jesse Randall (6/1), Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand
Alex Rufer (22/0), Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand
Marko Stamenić (34/3), Swansea City, Wales
Ryan Thomas (24/3), PEC Zwolle, Netherlands

Forwards
Kosta Barbarouses (71/9), Western Sydney Wanderers, Australia
Eli Just (39/8), Motherwell, Scotland
Logan Rogerson (17/2), Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand
Ben Waine (27/8), Port Vale, England

Head coach
Darren Bazeley

Chile

Goalkeepers
Lawrence Vigouroux, Swansea City, Wales
Thomas Gillier, CF Montreal, Canada
Sebastián Mella, Huachipato, Chile

Defenders
Felipe Faúndez, O’Higgins, Chile
Fabián Hormazábal, Universidad de Chile, Chile
Benjamín Kuscevic, Toronto, Canada
Iván Román, Atlético Mineiro, Brazil
Ian Garguez, Palestino, Chile
Guillermo Maripán, Torino, Italy
Igor Lichnovsky, Fatih Karagümrük SK, Türkiye
Gabriel Suazo, Sevilla, Spain

Midfielders
Diego Ulloa, Colo-Colo, Chile
Ignacio Saavedra, Rubin Kazan, Russia
Rodrigo Echeverría, Club León, Mexico
Felipe Ogaz, O’Higgins, Chile
Vicente Pizarro, Rosario Central, Argentina
Felipe Loyola, Pisa, Italy
Javier Altamirano, Universidad de Chile, Chile

Forwards
Lautaro Millán, Independiente, Argentina
Darío Osorio, FC Midtjylland, Denmark
Maximiliano Gutiérrez, Independiente, Argentina
Gonzalo Tapia, São Paulo, Brazil
Ben Brereton Díaz, Derby County, England
Alexander Aravena, Portland Timbers, United States
Lucas Cepeda, Elche CF, Spain
Benjamín Chandía, Coquimbo Unido, Chile

Head coach
Nicolás Córdova.

FIFA Series fixtures