A last-minute goal saw the All Whites narrowly lose 2–1 to South American powerhouse Colombia in their toughest test of this FIFA World Cup cycle.
Despite the large gap in FIFA rankings, the All Whites more than held their own against the world number 13 for the majority of the contest, with a late strike proving decisive.
The All Whites went into the game at a sold-out Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale missing six regulars through injury, including captain Chris Wood.
Colombia named a host of star players, including Copa América 2024 Golden Ball winner James Rodríguez and in-form Bayern Munich attacker Luis Díaz.
The game began at a rapid pace and, just three minutes in, Colombia took the lead. Santiago Arias found the onrushing Gustavo Puerta on the edge of the box, and the Racing de Santander midfielder connected first time to expertly finish past the New Zealand defence.
Despite the early setback, the All Whites settled, grew into the game, and matched the South Americans’ speed and intensity.
Both sides traded chances, going end to end under the lights in Florida.
The All Whites’ best opportunity of the first half came in the 29th minute when Kosta Barbarouses was played in by Sarpreet Singh for a shot from just inside the area. Colombia goalkeeper Álvaro Montero blocked the effort, but the ball squeezed underneath him and drifted just wide of the post.
The second half continued where the first left off, with both teams playing at pace, refusing to sit back, and creating chances at both ends.
After threatening through Matt Garbett and Sarpreet Singh, the All Whites finally found the equaliser in the 80th minute. Singh found space in the box and crossed to the oncoming Ben Old, on as a substitute since the 66th minute, and the Saint-Étienne attacker got across his marker to finish and make it 1–1.
Five minutes later, the All Whites could have won it when Jesse Randall reacted first to a deflected cross, but his volley flashed just wide. Instead, it was Colombia who found a late winner. A long ball forward was seized upon by Jhon Carbonero, who slotted past Max Crocombe to give Colombia the victory, sending their vocal supporters into celebration.
It was a tough result for the All Whites, who competed throughout against a top side, but there were plenty of encouraging signs that they can match big opponents come June next year and the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
