The New Zealand women's national football team represents

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

in international

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

competitions, and is governed by

New Zealand Football New Zealand Football () is the governing body for the sport of association football in New Zealand. It oversees the seven New Zealand Football federations, as well as the New Zealand men's national football team (nicknamed the "All Whites"), th ...

(NZF). They are nicknamed the Football Ferns. The New Zealand national team has taken part in the

FIFA Women's World Cup The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior list of women's national association football teams, women's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internationale de Footb ...

six times, making their debut in

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

. New Zealand co-hosted the 2023 World Cup alongside

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. They have failed to go past the group stage in all occasions.

History

The New Zealand Women's Soccer Association was founded in 1975. By invitation, the team took part in the Asian Women's Championship in 1975 and won the championship. They have since then played in the Oceanic Championship. As Australia left the OFC, New Zealand had no serious and competitive rivals in Oceania. This made New Zealand's qualification to the World Cup and Olympics easier having contested every edition of both tournaments since 2007.

2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

New Zealand co-hosted the

2023 FIFA Women's World Cup The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup was the ninth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international women's association football, football championship contested by List of women's national association football teams, women's nat ...

along with Australia after being awarded it on 25 June 2020 as the favourites over other bidder Colombia. The Football Ferns automatically qualified as co-host. Despite winning their opening match against

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

, their first World Cup win for either a women's or men's World Cup, they suffered a shocking loss to debutants

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

and later drew to

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

in their final match, and were eliminated after Norway defeated Philippines and finished above New Zealand on goal difference. This was the first time the hosts were eliminated from the group stage. They only managed to score one goal during the tournament.

Team image

The New Zealand women's national football team are also known by their nickname the "Football Ferns". Like their male counterparts, the team has traditionally worn all white

kits KITS (105.3 FM broadcasting, FM, "Live 105") is a commercial radio, commercial radio station in San Francisco, San Francisco, California. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it broadcasts an alternative rock radio format known as "Live 105". The studios ...

. For the

, the Football Ferns switched to an all black first choice kit reminiscent of the

New Zealand national rugby union team The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks, is the representative men's national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of New Zealand, which is considered the country's national sport. Famed for th ...

, as well as the country's national teams in other sports, including

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

field hockey Field hockey (or simply referred to as hockey in some countries where ice hockey is not popular) is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with 11 players in total, made up of 10 field players and a goalk ...

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a rectangular court by two teams of seven players. The primary objective is to shoot a ball through the defender's goal ring while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own. It is one of a ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

, and

limited overs cricket Limited overs cricket, also known as white ball cricket, is a version of the sport of cricket in which a match is generally completed within one day. There are a number of formats, including List A cricket (8-hour games), Twenty20 cricket (3-h ...

. The away kit pairs the traditional white shirts and socks with turquoise shorts.

FIFA world rankings

Worst Ranking Best Ranking Worst Mover Best Mover

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled. ;Legend

2024

2025

New Zealand Fixtures and Results
– Soccerway.com

Coaching staff

Current coaching staff

Manager history

* Dave Farrington (1975–1979) * Ken Armstrong (1980) * Dave Boardman (1981–1982) * Roy Cox (1983–1987) * Dave Boardman (1988–1994) * Jeff Coulshed (1994) * Nora Watkins (1995) * Maurice Tillotson (1995–1998) *

Douglas Moore Douglas Stuart Moore (August 10, 1893 – July 25, 1969) was an American composer, songwriter, organist, pianist, Conducting, conductor, educator, actor, and author. A composer who mainly wrote works with an American subject, his music is genera ...

(1999–2000) *

Sandy Davie Alexander Grimmond Davie (born 10 June 1945) is a Scottish former footballer, who played as goalkeeper. Davie spent most of his career with Dundee United and represented Scotland at under-23 level and New Zealand at senior level. In 1967, Te ...

(2001–2003) * Fred Simpson (2003) * Alison Grant &

Wendi Henderson Wendi Judith Henderson (born 16 July 1971) is an association football player who represented New Zealand at international level. Henderson made her full Football Ferns debut as a substitute in a 3–0 win over Hawaii on 12 December 1987. She w ...

(2004) * Mick Leonard (2005) *

John Herdman John Herdman (born 19 July 1975) is an English professional football manager widely recognized for his contributions to Canadian soccer. He is the only coach to have led both a women’s and men’s national team from the same country to a FIF ...

(2006) * Allan Jones (2006–2007) *

(2007–2011) *

Tony Readings Anthony David Readings (born 27 October 1975) is a pro licence-qualified English football coach, performance specialist and former player who played for A.F.C. Wimbledon and North Shore United. From 2011 to 2017, he was the head coach of the Fo ...

(2011–2017) *

Andreas Heraf Andreas Heraf (born 10 September 1967) is an Austrian football manager and former player who last served as head coach for the German Regionalliga team BFC Dynamo. He was previously the technical director for New Zealand Football and head coach f ...

(2017–2018) *

Tom Sermanni Thomas Dorby Sermanni (born 1 July 1954) is a Scottish football manager and former professional player, who mostly works in women's football. He has previously managed the Australia women's national team across three stints (1994–1997, 2005� ...

(2018–2021) *

Jitka Klimková Jitka Klimková (born 20 August 1974) is a Czech football coach and former football player. In September 2021 she was appointed head coach of the Football Ferns, the New Zealand women's national football team. Biography During her playing car ...

(2021–2024) * Michael Mayne (2024–)

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the friendly matches against on 5 and 8 April 2025. ''Caps and goals are current as of 25 February 2025, after the match against .''

Recent call-ups

The following players were called up to the squad within the last 12 months. ;Notes *^ALT = Alternate *^INJ = Withdrew due to injury *^PRE = Preliminary squad / on stand-by *^PER = Withdrew due to personal reasons *^RET = Retired from national team *^TOP = Train-on player *^UNV = Made themselves unavailable for selection

Captains

Ali Riley Alexandra Lowe Riley (born 30 October 1987) is a professional association football, footballer who plays as a Defender (association football), defender for Angel City FC, Angel City of the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Born in ...

– 50 matches (2017– ) † *

Abby Erceg Abby May Erceg (born 20 November 1989) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Liga MX Femenil club Toluca. She formerly played for the New Zealand national team, where she became the first player (male or femal ...

– 49 matches (2013–2017) * Rebecca Smith – 45 matches (2003–2007, 2011–2012) * Hayley Moorwood – 43 matches (2007–2011) * Barbara Cox – 19 matches (1975,1984–1987) * Terry McCahill – 14 matches (1995–1998) * Marilyn Marshall – 12 matches (?) *

– 9 matches (2000, 2006–2007) * Maureen Jacobson – 9 matches (2005–2006) * Ali Grant – 6 matches (1981–1983) *

Ria Percival Ria Dawn Percival (born 7 December 1989) is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder. She last played for Crystal Palace, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. Born in England, she played for the New Zealand women's national te ...

– 6 matches (2017, 2019, 2023– ) † * Leslie King – 5 matches (1991) * Viv Robertson – 5 matches (1998–1991) *

Rebekah Stott Rebekah Ashley Stott (born 17 June 1993) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a defender for the Australian A-League Women club Melbourne City and the New Zealand women's national team. She previously played for Australian ...

- 7 matches †Current New Zealand co-captain

Records

Bold players are still active. :''Statistics as of 19 February 2024''. Ria_Perciva

Most capped players

Top goalscorers

Honours

Major competitions

OFC Women's Nations Cup The OFC Women's Nations Cup (previously known as the OFC Women's Championship) is a women's association football tournament for national teams that belong to the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). It was held every three years from 1983 to 1989. ...

: ''Champions (6):''

1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

: ''Runners-up (4):''

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

AFC Women's Championship The AFC Women's Asian Cup (formerly known as the AFC Women's Championship) is a quadrennial competition in women's football for national teams which belong to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It is the oldest women's international football ...

: ''Champions:''

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

CONCACAF W Championship The CONCACAF W Championship is a women's association football competition for national teams organized by the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) that often serves as the qualifying competition ...

: ''Runners-up (1):''

1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...

Competitive record

FIFA Women's World Cup

Olympic Games

OFC Women's Nations Cup

AFC Women's Asian Cup

Algarve Cup

The Algarve Cup is an invitational tournament for national teams in

women's association football Women's association football, more commonly known as women's football or women's soccer, is the team sport of association football played by women. It is played at the professional level in multiple countries, and about 200 national teams partic ...

hosted by the

Portuguese Football Federation The Portuguese Football Federation ( , FPF) is the governing body of Association football, football in Portugal. The federation was formed in 1914 as Portuguese Football Union (, UPF) by the three existing regional associations of Lisbon Footbal ...

(FPF). Held annually in the

Algarve The Algarve (, , ) is the southernmost NUTS statistical regions of Portugal, NUTS II region of continental Portugal. It has an area of with 467,495 permanent inhabitants and incorporates 16 municipalities (concelho, ''concelhos'' or ''município ...

region of

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious and longest-running women's international football events and has been nicknamed the "Mini FIFA Women's World Cup".

SheBelieves Cup

The

SheBelieves Cup The SheBelieves Cup is an invitational women's association football, women's soccer tournament held in different cities in the United States in late February or early March. In its first three years (2016, 2017, and 2018), it was contested by t ...

is a global invitational tournament for national teams in

women's soccer Women's association football, more commonly known as women's football or women's soccer, is the team sport of association football played by women. It is played at the professional level in multiple countries, and about 200 national teams partic ...

hosted in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

References

External links

*
FIFA profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:New Zealand Women's National Football Team Oceanian women's national association football teams