By Craig Stephen
The Flying Kiwis supporters group aim to bring the passion they displayed for the All Whites at the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup to a pair of home games in November.
New Zealand face India at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium on Thursday November 12 and again at Christchurch’s new OneNZ Stadium on Sunday November 15, 2026.
The games were announced by the government as part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to New Zealand and will form part of a series of sporting events to celebrate ‘100 Years of Unity Through Sport’ between the nations.
Flying Kiwis founder and spokesperson Matt Fejos told Friends of Football they have big plans for the Christchurch encounter.
“We have a good relationship with the South Island United fan group, the Southern Front, so through them we’ve got a deal for accommodation near the stadium, and on the Saturday before the game we’ve got a fan-friendly tournament with multiple teams at the South Island United’s training centre.
“Those teams will be based around local ethnic groups, with an Indian and a Kiwi team. It’s an opportunity to take the game into every community of New Zealand.
“It’s the first time the new stadium will be hosting a football international match so it’s quite a big thing in Canterbury.
“A lot of the tickets have already been sold.”
Main photo: Flying Kiwis founder Matt Fejos … looking forward to the November internationals.
The Flying Kiwis made up a significant portion of the All Whites support in North America and made a huge noise in Vancouver and Los Angeles. The Scots and the Norwegians made plenty of friends during their time at the tournament, but Fejos says the Kiwis created an atmosphere of their own.
New Zealand supporters, including members of the Flying Kiwis group, head for the Egypt match in Vancouver.
“For the Egypt game, we had a few pubs booked, and we had 800 people for the pre-match event hours before kick-off. Then we had a big march down the street to the stadium, which added well over a thousand more All Whites fans.
“The passion of so many people with all the smoke, flags and banners all created a South American-style atmosphere in our own unique Kiwi way.”
The Flying Kiwis found that many Canadians and Americans adopted the All Whites as their team.
“We were aware of a lot of people who weren’t New Zealanders who were wearing the white tops and supporting the team,” says Fejos.
They also had a direct line to the police in Vancouver as a senior police officer had grown up in New Zealand. The Flying Kiwis were in contact with her for several months ahead of the finals.
“She led the police approach and the logistics to let us have fun, create our own energy and turn a blind eye to some things, like all the smoke, for example. And that helped the vibe of it all.
“I don’t know how many police officers and council staff there were to chaperone the march along but it didn’t seem that much, not more than 50. They did it in such good spirit and it helped to create a bridge between the authorities and us.
“The scale of it was huge, and there were so many fans who became involved in the planning; Tom Sadd and Tim Myhill in particular were crucial in the logistical planning.
“It was an incredible experience for everyone, and now our challenge is to keep pushing and growing that passion with these home fixtures and beyond.”
India, who are currently #138 in the FIFA men’s rankings, have never played in the World Cup — they withdrew from the 1950 World Cup in Brazil due to financial issues.
Fixtures
Game to be played on Thursday November 12, 2026
New Zealand v India
Go Media Stadium, Mt Smart, 7pm
READ MORE: All Whites to play two-match series against India in Auckland and Christchurch >>>>
Game to be played on Sunday November 15, 2026
New Zealand v India
One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch, 4pm
Craig Stephen
Craig Stephen writes about football for a number of publications. He is the author of Bombs and Boots, a book that tells how New Zealand football came of age in the 1960s and 1970s.
This story was first published on October 14, 2026.