New Zealand Football 2024 Review: The Good, The Bad And The Future

Wednesday, 1 January 2025, 6:45 pm
Article: RNZ

Mathew Nash, Sports Contributor
31 December 2024

So there you have it. We have made it to 2025 and it's been an exciting year of football across the world. Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal burst onto the scene at the Euros, Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool as a club legend while Lionel Messi led club and country to more silverware.

But what about right here in Aotearoa? What does a 2024 year in review look like for New Zealand football? Who had a year to remember, and who can't wait to put it all behind them in 2025?

Good year

Chris Wood

What a spectacular calendar year it has been for the All Whites captain. Across the year, the 33-year-old striker has scored 25 goals in 40 games for club and country. That includes 11 in the first half of the 2024-25 Premier League season as Nottingham Forest threaten to shake things up at the top of the table. Such form has even seen one brave (or stupid, or wrong) RNZ correspondent suggest he has now surpassed Wyton Rufer as New Zealand football's G.O.A.T.

For Wood, it completes a reputational renaissance. A long-term Premier League staple, many detractors suggested he had found himself out of his depth after a big-money move to Newcastle United failed to ignite.

However, since joining Forest, Wood has his mojo back.

Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix

Auckland FC have lit a fire under New Zealand football that it desperately needed. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realise that this Auckland side would be strong. Alex Paulsen, Dan Hall, Jake Brimmer, Hiroki Sakai, Steve Corica - these are all names synonymous with success. Yet nobody would have picked them going into 2025 top of the A-League table.

But do not forget the Wellington Phoenix. It seems a lifetime ago now, but it was only May when a sold out Sky Stadium watched on as the Phoenix lost a painful semi-final to Melbourne Victory in Wellington.

They are reaping the benefits of a new grudge match on the calendar, while also remaining competitive on and off the pitch.

Liam Gillion, Francis de Vries and Cam Howieson

Picking individual players from the juvenile juggernaut that is Auckland FC seems an exercise in futility considering their excellent beginnings.

But this trio have been plucked from the non-professional world of New Zealand's National League and cast back into the big time with little to no hiccups.

Gillion, unlike the other two, had never played at this level before, but has swiftly emerged as one of the A-League's top wingers - earning him international honours in the process.

New Zealand National League

Thanks to a partnership with FIFA's official streaming platform, there have never been more eyes on the nation's men's and women's domestic leagues.

Clubs are still doing it rough, with devoted staff and volunteers keeping things ticking over, while the arrival of another professional club has its upsides and downsides, but there's a genuine momentum there which, locally, appears to be being tapped into.

Auckland City

They may no longer be the city's biggest draw, but the Navy Blues were crowned National League and OFC Champions League winners again this year and have been drawn into a stellar group at next year's revamped and lucrative FIFA Club World Cup.

Tough year

Football Ferns

What a difference a year makes? After what felt like a tide-shifting World Cup in their backyard last year 2024 has become the Football Ferns' annus horribilis.

It started well, with the ritual brushing aside of Oceania rivals in World Cup qualifiers followed by a 4-0 win over Thailand. But that's about the zenith of this 12-month period. They have failed to win a single one of their seven games since and off the pitch the rhetoric has been miserable.

Head coach Jitka Klimkova eventually left her role in September to end a regrettable episode which left nobody - not her, the players or the association - in a good light.

Throw in the 'Dronegate' madness of the Paris Olympics and it's simply been a year to forget for New Zealand's women's national team - who now sit in their worst ever FIFA World Ranking of 32.

Oli Sail

It's been tough for the 28-year-old of late. A couple of years ago he was arguably the best goalie in the A-League and had established himself as New Zealand's number one.

But a 2023 move to Perth Glory has not worked out for the former Phoenix stopper. He has seemingly lost out on his first-team spot to Cameron Cook in Western Australia and been on the end of 8-0, 7-1, 5-0 and 6-1 scorelines this calendar year.

Sail is a strong character, so will undoubtedly bounce back, but he will want a better 2025.

All Whites abroad

Specifically, those who have made big moves have struggled for regular game time in the back end of 2025.

On the one hand, transfers for the likes of Finn Surman, Ben Old and Alex Paulsen should be celebrated. However, Surman has struggled to breakthrough at Portland Timbers, Old suffered a serious knee injury at Saint-Etienne while Paulsen was shipped back to the A-League after an exciting move to AFC Bournemouth. Ben Waine, Max Mata and Marko Stamenic are others who have been loaned out by parent clubs, with mixed results in terms of playing time.

There are other promising signs however, with Joe Bell back as a regular in Norway, Libby Cacace finishing the year strong in Serie A and Matt Garbett enjoying life in the Dutch top-flight.

It's a mixed bag, but overall, All Whites head coach Darren Bazeley will want to see more regular playing time for his most talented players heading into the 2026 World Cup.

Next year

Women's domestic football

We've seen what a shot in the arm the arrival of Auckland FC has been for the men's game in Aotearoa - will it have the same impact on the women's?

The start-up will add a team into the A-League Women from 2025-26, meaning two professional football outlets for footballers across the country.

On top of that, Paul Temple's Wellington Phoenix side have been impressive of late. After another season of improvement in 2023-24, this season also looks like a step in the right direction. With a new rival to sink their teeth into in 2025, it's an exciting period of growth for women's football in New Zealand.

All Whites

After a so-so start to the year things have clicked of late for new coach Darren Bazeley - including a OFC Nations Cup win in June. In 2025, they have a chance to become the first New Zealand men's team to reach a World Cup in a generation. All that stands in their way is two qualifying matches against Fiji and either New Caledonia or Tahiti and Bazeley's boys will join a short list of Kiwi fellas to have qualified for football's showpiece event in 2026.

Tyler Bindon

There's an abundance of talented Kiwi youngsters who could have a breakout 2025 but the young Reading defender looks as well-placed as any. The 19-year-old is helping his financially troubled club side to a promotion push, most recently scoring an acrobatic overhead kick to earn three points against Ben Waine's Mansfield Town.

Rumours of a big transfer are circulating for 2025 and he looks like a potential future star of what is an impressive array of defensive talent for New Zealand.

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