Latest news with #AndrewPragnell
Reuters
26-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
New Zealand look to build legacy from All Whites' return to World Cup
March 26 (Reuters) - New Zealand will look to invest its World Cup windfall in talent development to ensure the All Whites' return to the global stage is sustainable, the nation's soccer chief Andrew Pragnell said. The nation missed out on the last three men's World Cups but the team booked their ticket to the 2026 finals in North America on Monday with victory over New Caledonia in the final of Oceania qualifying. here. FIFA have not confirmed prize money for 2026 but teams that qualified for Qatar 2022 and were eliminated from the group stage earned $10.5 million, including $1.5 million to cover preparation costs. The money can make a big difference in small soccer nations like New Zealand, which has only two professional teams and a sports market dominated by rugby. Around 40% of New Zealand's World Cup windfall will go to the players under an agreement with the nation's players union, while much of the rest will be ploughed into grass-roots and talent pathways, said Pragnell. "It wasn't a boom-or-bust situation if we didn't make it but there is a lot of pressure to keep resourcing the game at all levels," Pragnell told Reuters. "(Qualification) enables us to continue to do that, to continue to develop the talent and refine player pathways. It is critical for the growth to be sustainable." While the All Whites have a modest world ranking of 89, the local game enjoyed a boost from co-hosting the Women's World Cup with Australia in 2023 and the momentum has continued with the addition of Auckland FC to the A-League. Owned by American billionaire Bill Foley, Auckland FC are top of the table in their first season with seven rounds left before the playoffs. Strong match-day attendances at Auckland's home Mount Smart Stadium have put to bed concerns that the market might not support a second professional team in New Zealand along with Wellington Phoenix. Auckland FC will enter a team in the A-League Women 2025/26 season, providing another pathway to professional football for New Zealand's female talent. Pragnell said NZF would soon announce details of a legacy fund from the Women's World Cup. "We will be managing it carefully to invest back into the game. It's critical we use all our assets," he added. The All Whites' buildup to their third appearance at a World Cup next year is likely to keep the ball rolling for fan engagement. New Zealand's qualification for their last World Cup at the 2010 finals in South Africa triggered celebrations across the country as Ricki Herbert's team won an intercontinental playoff against Bahrain, ending a 28-year absence from the global event. The nation rallied around the team as they held Italy, Slovakia and Paraguay to three draws and exited the group stage with acclaim. The Chris Wood-captained All Whites can expect the same attention as they look to reach the knockout rounds for the first time at the expanded, 48-team World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. With Nottingham Forest forward Wood starring in the Premier League with 18 goals and players performing in other European leagues, fans are right to be excited, said Pragnell. "I think it is a time to raise our expectations," he said.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NZ call for fresh Soccer Ashes clash with Australia
New Zealand want to re-light the Soccer Ashes rivalry with home-and-away fixtures against Australia in the lead up to next year's FIFA World Cup. This week, the All Whites reached the 2026 tournament after dispatching Oceania opposition, and the Socceroos took a great stride towards joining them with two wins of their own. Both New Zealand Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell and All Whites coach Darren Bazeley say trans-Tasman clashes would be a perfect way to prepare for their first World Cup outing since 2010. "That would be fantastic ... and if we're to do it, home and away is best," Pragnell told AAP. "They need to be played for again soon, particularly because we want them back, but equally because the Socceroos are a great quality team and we're actually a pretty good match for each other at the moment." Bazeley agreed it would be "awesome". "If we could make that happen, it would definitely be something we'd be looking to do," he told AAP. As opposed to cricket's Ashes, contested by England and Australia, the Soccer Ashes is fought between the two Anzac nations. The trophy, a neat wooden box with two ferns and a kangaroo on the cover, holds the ashes of cigars smoked by opposing captains after their first meeting in 1923, in a razor case carried by an Australian soldier and football official who fought at Gallipoli. EMBED: The Australia v New Zealand rivalry has interesting history. It was lost in the 1950s but discovered again in recent years, sparking fresh commitments from both football associations to regularly contest the trophy. Following Australia's shift to Asia in 2005, the rivalry fell dormant with just two matches in 17 years. The renewed rivalry has skewed the Socceroos way: home-and-away contests in September 2022 and a one-off match in London in October 2023 all ended in Australian victories. Football Australia declined to comment on the possibility given the Socceroos are yet to qualify. Whether the contest can be staged may hinge on Australia's results against Japan and Saudi Arabia in June, with just five international windows left before the 2026 World Cup. Should Australia fall short of a top-two position to qualify, they will be required for another round of Asian qualifiers in the October window, and possibly a playoff in November and inter-confederation playoff next March. New Zealand have booked friendlies against Cote d'Ivoire and Ukraine in Canada in June, and a date with Erling Haaland's Norway in October. The September 2025 window is a possibility, as is a lead-in window next June, which will not be preferred by coaches looking to acclimatise in North America before the tournament starts just days later. Bazeley said one of his biggest tasks now was booking the right matches ahead of the December draw. "We'll fill those windows with good games with good teams," he said. "We're trying to play as many matches against top-50 opposition as we can, against varied opposition as we don't know who's going to be in our group at the World Cup." Qualifying for their first tournament since 2010 has also brought a financial windfall for NZ Football. FIFA pay out game-changing sums to each team who qualify for a World Cup, which has not been confirmed yet, but was $US9 million ($A14.3 million) in 2022. "A chunk of that will go to the players and then a chunk towards the organisation to enable us to continue to invest in the game and the teams," Pragnell said. Under its deal with players, and should FIFA maintain the prizemoney next year, every member of New Zealand's squad is in line for over $NZ600,000 ($A545,000).
