Football in New Zealand is having a moment.
In a few weeks, their men's team will return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2010, and just the third time overall, when they open their tournament against Iran. Last Saturday, Wellington Phoenix became the first Kiwi side in A-League history to compete in a Grand Final when their women fell to Melbourne City in the women's decider. On Wednesday, a 72nd-minute header from Isa Prins lifted Auckland FC's OFC Pro League side to a 1-0 semifinal win over South Island United, securing a place in Sunday's final against South Melbourne and, thanks to the Australian side's ineligibility to represent Oceania, a spot in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
And on Saturday, Auckland's A-League Men side will become the first Aotearoan side in Australian national league history to host a Grand Final, when they and Sydney FC clash for the Toilet Seat at Mount Smart Stadium.
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For all their sputtering form -- the Kiwis hadn't won a game inside 90 minutes since March 14 heading into last weekend -- and a rash of injuries, Steve Corica's side marched into Hindmarsh Stadium and put Adelaide United to the sword last week to book their place in the decider -- handing the Reds side a lesson on the big stage.
It felt like a big mental moment for the club. They'd eeked past Melbourne City on penalties in an elimination final and drawn with the Reds in the first leg, but we hadn't seen anything yet to demonstrate that, for all their bonafides, they had what it takes in finals football -- to wonder if a 2-1 aggregate loss to Melbourne Victory in last year's semifinal was still in their heads -- especially considering they planned to break with convention and host the first leg of the semifinals if they'd finished second. But then they marched into a packed-out Hindmarsh and silenced it. And now, in just their second-year of existence as an expansion franchise, they can secure themselves a title to go alongside the premiership they won in their first season of operation in 2024-25.
Indeed, looking back across the past two years, it's difficult to really pinpoint how the introduction of Auckland could have gone much better.
A domestic-double in their first season would have been nice, obviously, but coming up against the league's resident dreamkillers in Melbourne Victory with a fairytale on the line is always a fraught endeavour. Five members of their squad -- Michael Woud, Francis de Vries, Nando Pijnaker, Callan Elliot, and Jesse Randall -- will represent the All Whites at the coming World Cup. They still are yet to lose to the Phoenix in their lifetime, and their last win was of such a thumping nature -- a 5-0 win at Sky Stadium back in February -- it led to the immediate resignation of Nix boss Giancarlo Italiano.
That new-club novelty having dissipated somewhat, crowds were down in 2025-26, but their 13,372 average still led the A-League for a second-straight season, and the build-up to Saturday's decider has been marked by batches of tickets going on sale, only to be snapped up within minutes. Maybe there's a quibble to be had that they're yet to field a women's team, but that's seemingly more down to delays on the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) side of things than their own intransigence.
With Canberran expansion back in the news this week, reports from the Australian capital suggesting that the APL are intending to choose between two submitted bids for a licence by the end of the month, it's remarkable to think that they were initially supposed to come into the league at the same time as Auckland. Three years on from those two markets being tapped for the 2024-25 (with another two supposed to follow in 2025-26), one has quickly established itself as an A-League power and, already, the big dogs in New Zealand football. Given Hellas' ineligibility, it's almost certain they'll represent Oceania at the next FIFA Club World Cup, too, bringing global focus onto their brand.
Admittedly, it's a lot easier to hit the ground running when your majority owner -- American entrepreneur Bill Foley -- is worth USD 2.6 billion, per Forbes, up from 1.8 billion a couple of years ago. Foley, in fact, could be in for a very good week this week, given that he also owns AFC Bournemouth, who are on the verge of securing Champions League football for next season, and the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL, who won the first game of their Western Conference Finals series against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday evening.
His patronage meant that Auckland was instantly one of the most well-resourced clubs in the league the moment it entered the competition, allowing it to invest in one of the league's most well-credentialled squads, as well as coaching and backroom staff, and also ensured that any attempts to run a 'Nobody believes in us' gimmick can get in the bin.
But credit also needs to be given where it's due. And one only needs to look at the Western Sydney Wanderers to see that having money and actually being able to turn it into on-field success are two different skill sets. Head coach Steve Corica, head of football Terry McFlynn, and chief executive Nick Becker have overseen the establishment of a powerful foundation in the City of Sails over the past two seasons.
And now, in front of a sold-out Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday, the A-League's newest side has the chance to seal it in silverware.