England - New Zealand live - Football

England and New Zealand meet in a pre-tournament friendly in Tampa, Florida - the third time these two nations have faced each other in football history, and a crucial final test before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off across North America.

Match Info: England vs New Zealand

The match takes place on Saturday, 6 June 2026, with kick-off at 9:00 pm BST (4 pm local time) at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The game forms part of England's pre-World Cup preparation camp in south Florida ahead of the tournament beginning on 11 June.

Where to Watch England vs New Zealand?

UK viewers can watch the match live on ITV 1 UK - free-to-air terrestrial television - while streaming is available through ITVX, also free of charge. This is one of the most accessible ways for English fans to follow the Three Lions in a World Cup summer.

In the United States, the match is broadcast across FOX One, Fox Soccer Plus, Fubo TV and VIX. Canadian fans have two options: DAZN and fuboTV Canada. Australian supporters can tune in via Stan Sport. In New Zealand itself - the home nation - the match is available on TVNZ+, with coverage also accessible globally via UEFA TV.

Across Europe, DAZN carries the match in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, while Italy has coverage on Sky Sport Calcio, Sky Go Italia and NOW TV. The Netherlands can watch on Ziggo Sport, Sweden on Viaplay Sport and Viaplay Sweden, Denmark on TV2 Sport X and TV2 Play, Norway on TV2 Sport Premium and TV2 Play, and Turkey on S Sport+. For fans across South America, Disney+ is the primary streaming platform in most countries, alongside ESPN2 coverage.

England vs New Zealand - Match Preview

Two World Cup-bound nations separated by 35 years of footballing silence collide in Tampa - England arrive as tournament favourites eyeing a first world title, New Zealand as historic OFC qualifiers who conceded 4 goals to Haiti just 3 days ago and need an urgent defensive reset.

Thomas Tuchel has gathered his 26-man England squad in Palm Beach for a preparation camp that leads directly into the tournament. The Three Lions face Croatia, Ghana and Panama in Group L, with their opening game on 17 June in Dallas. This friendly - only the third in history between these nations - gives Tuchel the chance to assess squad depth, sharpen tactical patterns and build momentum heading into what is expected to be a demanding group stage.

For New Zealand, the stakes are different but no less significant. Darren Bazeley's All Whites qualified for the 2026 World Cup via a historic direct OFC slot and face Belgium, Egypt and Iran in Group G. Having conceded 4 goals to Haiti in Fort Lauderdale on 3 June - 3 of them from defensive errors - the All Whites desperately need a sharper display against England. Their World Cup opener against Iran is on 16 June, making this the last genuine competitive rehearsal before the tournament.

Head-to-Head: England vs New Zealand

England and New Zealand have met just twice in senior men's international football - both times in June 1991 during England's summer tour to New Zealand, with the Three Lions winning on each occasion without conceding a single goal.

Here is the complete head-to-head record between these two nations:

• 3 June 1991 - Friendly - New Zealand 0:1 England (Auckland)
• 8 June 1991 - Friendly - New Zealand 0:2 England (Wellington)

England - Recent Form

England head into this match with 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat from their last 5 fixtures, scoring 10 goals and conceding 2 - a record that reflects both their attacking quality and occasional vulnerability.

The standout result in that run was a 5:0 demolition of Latvia in October 2025, a statement performance in World Cup qualifying that showcased England's capacity for high-tempo, dominant football. Victories over Serbia (2:0) and Albania (2:0 away from home) followed, cementing top spot in their qualifying group. A 1:1 draw against Uruguay in March 2026 was a competitive result in a proper test, while the 0:1 loss to Japan in a friendly with a heavily rotated squad raised only minor questions about depth.

Under Tuchel, England's structure relies on Harry Kane as the central reference point in attack, with Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden providing width and creativity. Declan Rice controls tempo from midfield, while Jude Bellingham brings the individual quality that few opponents can match. This is a squad built for a tournament run.

New Zealand - Recent Form

New Zealand arrive at Raymond James Stadium with just 1 win from their last 5 matches - 4 defeats, 9 goals scored and 7 conceded - pointing to a team with attacking spark but significant defensive fragility.

The brightest moment in that recent run was a commanding 4:1 win over Chile in March 2026, a result that showed what the All Whites are capable of when they click. However, losses to Ecuador (0:2), Colombia (1:2) and Finland (0:2) followed, and the preparation camp took a rough turn when Haiti defeated the All Whites 4:0 in Fort Lauderdale on 3 June 2026 - just 3 days before this match. Three of those four goals came from defensive errors, an issue Darren Bazeley has identified as an urgent priority.

Despite those recent results, New Zealand's squad has genuine quality. Captain Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest) is fit and available, midfielders Marko Stamenic and Joe Bell are playing regularly at senior European club level, and forward Elijah Just has had an impressive season in Scotland. This is, by some distance, the most Europe-based All Whites squad ever assembled.

Facts and Statistics

5 key facts about this rare international fixture:

• This is only the 3rd senior men's international between England and New Zealand - the previous 2 were both played in New Zealand in June 1991.
• England won both prior meetings without conceding: 1:0 in Auckland and 2:0 in Wellington.
• A planned friendly between the two nations at Wembley in November 2020 was cancelled after New Zealand withdrew due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
• Both nations are competing at the same 2026 FIFA World Cup: England in Group L, New Zealand in Group G.
• Raymond James Stadium in Tampa - a 75,000-seat NFL venue - hosted Super Bowl LV in 2021, won by the hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers.