TVNZ Reaches FIFA Fever Pitch

Football fever set to take over TVNZ!

The biggest tournament in the world is about to kick off … and TVNZ is set to keep excitement high, with a plethora of football content available for viewers to enjoy.

From the All Whites’ pre-tournament build-up to entertaining content for die-hard supporters and casual fans alike, TVNZ is where Aotearoa will experience the FIFA World Cup 2026 and a whole lot more!

Pitch Side With TVNZ; lead-up matches, studio analysis and news coverage

TVNZ is following the All Whites all the way to the world stage, with two clashes set to give fans an early look at the squad.

The New Zealand side will face Haiti and England next month as part of their build-up. This will be the first time the All Whites have ever faced Haiti, and just the third time in history they’ve played England.

Both matches will be available free-to-view on June 3 and June 7 respectively, across TVNZ 2 and TVNZ+, giving viewers an opportunity to see the 26-man squad come together for the first time.

During the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament itself, Chris Chang will host a studio show for TVNZ 1’s matches, including pre-match, half-time and full-time debriefs across the 11 free-to-air games.

Chris will be joined by football experts to analyse each game changing moment, including Auckland FC’s Oli Sail, Wellington Phoenix legend, Paul Ifill, football commentator Seamus Marten, and Bev Priestman, a four-time FIFA Women’s World Cup coach.

1News will also cover the tournament extensively – TVNZ’s Sports Reporter Zion Dayal will be on the ground, joined by US Correspondent Logan Church, who covered the live draw last year from Washington D.C.

The duo will report across TVNZ’s news programmes, ensuring viewers are kept up to date with the breaking stories emerging out of North America.

For After the Final Whistle; a podcast, companion series and specials

TVNZ is taking the coverage beyond the pitch too. A brand-new All Whites special podcast, Between Two Goals, will launch exclusively on TVNZ+.

From the team behind the Between Two Beers podcast, Steve Holloway and Seamus Marten, Between Two Goals will follow the New Zealand side across 22 episodes, covering both the build-up and the tournament itself.

Episodes will feature team updates, analysis, and interviews with those involved in the New Zealand camp. The first episode will launch on June 2, breaking down the team naming ahead of the Haiti match.

“Between Two Beers started in my garage back in 2019 as a football podcast – Seamus and I just talking about the game we love.

“To be heading to the tournament six years later, embedded with the All Whites, is a proper full-circle moment. Honestly, it’s the dream gig,” said Steve Holloway.

Marten, who’ll also be involved in TVNZ’s studio show coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026, added: “We want to make the show we’d want to watch – entertaining, insightful, and a bit different to your standard football coverage.

“We’re bringing the Between Two Beers style right inside the All Whites camp and having it on TVNZ+ means every Kiwi can follow the journey with us.”

TVNZ+ will also have a wide variety of World Cup companion content viewers can enjoy:

• The FIFA World Cup 2026 Preview Series travels across continents to understand what this World Cup means – not just who might win it, but how nations arrive at it. New episodes weekly on Thursday and Friday on TVNZ+
• The Contenders ’26, currently streaming on TVNZ+ with new episodes on Tuesdays, is the ultimate preview to the World Cup, looking at the rising stars and defining storylines shaping the road to football’s biggest stage
• An Event Pass exclusive, Stories from the Cities, is a 16-episode docuseries exploring the host cities of the World Cup, showcasing the 16 cities across the three countries. The full series is available as an extra, for those who’ve purchased a TVNZ+ Event Pass

For viewers looking for some light entertainment, Celebrity Tipping Point NZ has an All Whites special, with footballers swapping their boots for buzzers!

Rory Fallon, Oli Sail, Francis de Vries go head-to-head, competing to win for their chosen charity. This special will air on June 22 on TVNZ 1, aligning with the All Whites second group stage match.

Plus, Twenty Twenty Six, a hilarious BBC comedy-mockumentary, and Dear England, a TVNZ+ drama following the reign of Gareth Southgate as England’s football manager round out some of our fantastic content that’s sure to score with viewers.