Auckland FC’s Francis De Vries scored his first international goal as New Zealand crushed Samoa 8-0 in their 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup qualifier.
De Vries scored his first international goal for the All Whites, who locked in a semi-final against Fiji in March next year after topping Group B in their Oceania qualifiers.
The Auckland defender scored New Zealand’s sixth goal in the 75th minute at Go Media Stadium – the home of the Black Knights in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
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Auckland team-mate Alex Paulsen also started for the All Whites, as did Central Coast Mariners full-back Storm Roux.
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Another Auckland player – Liam Gillion – came off the bench, having made his debut in the 8-1 rout of Vanuatu, while Wellington Phoenix star Kosta Barbarouses was a second-half substitute.
There is now two matches remaining for New Zealand to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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“We just have to win, we’ve got two games now to qualify for the World Cup,” said head coach Darren Bazeley.
“We know the opposition now, we just have to prepare properly and go and win those games.”
