If there’s one thing that’s defined the growing popularity of football in New Zealand, it’s the size of the crowds willing to pack our stadiums in recent years.
Thanks in no small part to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, it’s becoming increasingly common for more than 20,000 to fill our grounds for international games and club games.
Friends of Football have put together this list of the games with the biggest attendances — most are the official recorded attendances and some are the estimated crowds reported at the time.
This list is a work in progress and if you think we’ve overlooked a game, please let us know the teams, and provide us with any links or reports that list the attendance as 20,000 or more.
Please send your information to editor@friendsoffootballnz.com.
Meanwhile, here’s our list …
Main photo: Eden Park was filled to capacity three times during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
For the record
Here are the largest attendances for football matches in New Zealand (updated in December, 2024):
43,217 (1st=)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Saturday August 5, 2023
Eden Park, Auckland
Switzerland 1 (own goal 11′)
Spain 5 (Aitana Bonmati 5′, 36′, Alba Redondo 17′, Laia Codina 45′, Jennifer Hermoso 70′)
43,217 (1st=)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Friday August 11, 2023
Eden Park, Auckland
Japan 1 (Honoka Hayashi 87′)
Sweden 2 (Amanda Ilestedt 32′, Filippa Angeldal 51′ pen)
READ MORE: Highlights from quarter-final at Eden Park >>>>
43,217 (1st=)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Tuesday August 15, 2023
Eden Park, Auckland
Spain 2 (Salma Celeste Paralluelo Ayingono 81′, Olga Carmona 89′)
Sweden 1 (Rebecka Blomqvist 88′)
READ MORE: Highlights from semi-final at Eden Park >>>>
42,958 (4th)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Tuesday August 1, 2023
Eden Park, Auckland
United States 0
Portugal 0
READ MORE: New crowd record set as 42,958 pack Auckland’s Eden Park >>>>
42,137 (5th)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Thursday July 20, 2023
Eden Park, Auckland
New Zealand 1 (Hannah Wilkinson 48′)
Norway 0
READ MORE: Ferns display newfound derring-do in triumphant start to FIFA Women’s World Cup >>>>
Eden Park’s attendance is announced to the crowd on the digital billboard during the Football Ferns’ match against Norway. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.
41,107 (6th)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Saturday July 22, 2023
Eden Park, Auckland
United States 3 (Sophia Smith 14′, 45+7′, Lindsey Horan 77′)
Vietnam 0
37,034 (7th)
FIFA Men’s World Cup, intercontinental play-off
Game played on Saturday November 11, 2017
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
New Zealand 0
Peru 0
35,179 (8th)
FIFA Men’s World Cup, intercontinental play-off
Game played on Saturday November 14, 2009
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
New Zealand 1 (Rory Fallon 45′)
Bahrain 0
34,985 (9th)
International friendly
Game played on September 25, 2022
Eden Park, Auckland
New Zealand 0
Australia 2 (Mitchell Duke 54′ Jason Cummings 80′ pen)
34,697 (10th)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Sunday July 30, 2023
Eden Park, Auckland
Norway 6 (Sophie Román Haug 6′, 17′, 90+5′, Caroline Graham Hansen 31′, own goal 48′, Guro Reiten 53′ pen)
Philippines 0
33,626 (11th)
FIFA Men’s World Cup, intercontinental play-off
Game played on Wednesday November 20, 2013
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
New Zealand 2 (Chris James 80′ pen, Rory Fallon 83′)
Mexico 4 (Oribe Peralta 14′, 29′, 33′, Carlos Penā 87′)
33,298 (12th)
Men’s A-League, semi-final
Game played on Saturday May 19, 2024
Sky Stadium, Wellington
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Oskar Zawada 90+9′)
Melbourne Victory 2 (Adama Traoré 82′, Chris Ikonomidis 102′)
*After extra time. Victory win 2-1 on aggregate.
33,042 (13th)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Saturday August 5, 2023
Sky Stadium, Wellington
Japan 3 (own goal 15′, Risa Shimizu 50′, Hinata Miyazawa 81′)
Norway 1 (Guro Reiten 20′)
32,941 (14th)
Men’s A-League, play-offs
Game played on Sunday March 7, 2010
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Wellington Phoenix 3 (Tim Brown, Paul Ifill, Eugene Dadi)
Newcastle Jets 1 (Matt Thompson)
32,357 (15th)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Tuesday July 25, 2023
Sky Stadium, Wellington
New Zealand 0
Philippines 1 (Sarina Bolden 24′)
32,021 (16th)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Friday August 11, 2023
Sky Stadium, Wellington
Spain 2 (Mariona Caldentey 81′ pen, Salma Celeste Paralluelo Ayingono 111′)
Netherlands 1 (Stefanie van der Gragt 90+1′)
*After extra time
31,853 (17th)
Exhibition game
Game played on Saturday December 1, 2007
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Ross Aloisi 7′)
LA Galaxy 4 (Clint Mathis 17′, Landon Donovan 45′, Carlos Pavon 48′, David Beckham 77′ pen)
30,968 (18th)
Carlsberg Football United Tour double header
Game played on Saturday July 26, 2014
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
West Ham United 1 (own goal 50′)
Sydney FC (Gameiro 4’, 65’, Brosque 26’)
Wellington Phoenix 0
Newcastle United 1 (Yoan Gouffran 41′)
30,889 (19th)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Monday July 24, 2023
Eden Park, Auckland
Italy 1 (Cristiana Girelli 87’)
Argentina 0
30,000 (20th)
*Estimate
FIFA Men’s World Cup qualifier
Game played on Saturday October 10, 1981
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
New Zealand 1 (Steve Wooddin 24′)
Kuwait 2 (Faisel Al Dekheel 61′ pen, Jassim Yaqoub 90′)
29,143 (21st)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Saturday July 29, 2023
Sky Stadium, Wellington
Sweden 5 (Amanda Ilestedt 39′, 50*, Fridolina Rolfö 44′, Stina Blackstenius 45+1′, Rebecka Blomqvist 90+5′)
Italy 0
READ MORE: Highlights from latest FIFA Women’s World Cup game in Wellington >>>>
27,312 (22nd)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Thursday July 27, 2023
Sky Stadium, Wellington
United States 1 (Lindsey Horan 62′)
Netherlands 1 (Jill Roord 17′)
READ MORE: Highlights from latest World Cup games in Wellington and Hamilton >>>>
In their first nine home games, new A-League club Auckland FC averaged more than 16,000 a game at Go Media Stadium.
27,009 (23rd)
Men’s A-League, regular season
Game played on Saturday February 22, 2025
Go Media Stadium Mt Smart, Auckland
Auckland FC 6 (Neyder Moreno 31′, 36′, 60′, Logan Rogerson 40′, 80′, Jesse Randall 90+3′)
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Luke Brooke-Smith 49′)
27,000 (24th)
*Estimated
FIFA Men’s World Cup qualifier
Game played on October 3, 1981
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
New Zealand 1 (Ricki Herbert 45′)
China 0
26,253 (25th)
Men’s A-League, regular season
Game played on Saturday December 7, 2024
Go Media Stadium Mt Smart, Auckland
Auckland FC 2 (own goal, Nando Pijnaker 70′)
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Kosta Barbarouses 82′)
26,252 (26th)
Men’s A-League, regular season
Game played on Saturday November 2, 2024
Sky Stadium, Wellington
Wellington Phoenix 0
Auckland FC 2 (Jake Brimmer 89′, 90+6′)
26,000* (27th)
*Estimated
Game played on Sunday May 28, 1967
Carlaw Park, Auckland
Auckland 1 (George Lamont)
Manchester United 8 (John Aston 3, George Best 2, Noel Cantwell 2, Brian Kidd)
WATCH: Unearthing a gem — a famous goal we can enjoy again >>>>
25,947 (28th)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Sunday July 30, 2023
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
New Zealand 0
Switzerland 0
READ MORE: Agonising end to FIFA Women’s World Cup for Ferns and their fans >>>>
25,317 (29th)
FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup, final
Game played on Saturday June 20, 2015
North Harbour Stadium, Albany, Auckland
Brazil 1 (Andreas Pereira 73′)
Serbia 2 (Staniša Mandić 70′, Nemanja Maksimović 118′)
*After extra time
25,000 (30th)
FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup, opening game
Game played on Saturday May 30, 2015
North Harbour Stadium, Albany, Auckland
New Zealand 0
Ukraine 0
24,267 (31st)
Men’s A-League, finals series
Game played on Sunday February 21, 2010
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Chris Greenacre 37′)
Perth Glory 1 (Scott Neville 67′)
*Phoenix won 4-2 on penalties after extra time
24,105 (32nd)
Men’s A-League, regular season
Game played on Saturday May 22, 2021
Sky Stadium, Wellington
Wellington Phoenix 3 (Clayton Lewis 38′, Reno Piscopo 57′, Tomer Hemed 63′)
Western United 0
23,648 (33rd)
Men’s A-League, regular season
Game played on Friday February 15, 2019
Eden Park, Auckland
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Roy Krishna 57′)
Melbourne Victory 1 (Kelsuke Honda 67′ pen’)
22,966 (34th)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Friday July 21, 2023
Sky Stadium, Wellington
Spain 3 (own goal 21′, Aitana Bonmati 23′, Esther Gonzalez 27′)
Costa Rica 0
22,233 (35th)
Men’s A-League, regular season
Game played on Sunday May 30, 2021
Eden Park, Auckland
Wellington Phoenix 2 (Tomer Hemed 24′, Jaushua Sotiro 80′)
Perth Glory 2 (Bruno Fornaroli 61, Callum Timmins 75′)
21,000 (36th)
*Estimated
Friendly
Game played on May 26, 1982
Athletic Park, Wellington
New Zealand 1 (Steve Wooddin)
Watford 1 (Luther Blissett, pen)
20,983 (37th)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Wednesday July 26, 2023
Eden Park, Auckland
Spain 5 (Teresa Abelleira 9′, Jennifer Hermoso 13′, 70′, Alba Redondo 69′, 85′)
Zambia 0
20,957 (38th)
FIFA Women’s World Cup
Game played on Monday July 31, 2023
Sky Stadium, Wellington
Japan 4 (Hinata Miyazawa 12′, 40′, Riko Ueki 29′, Mina Tanaka 82′)
Spain 0
READ MORE: Highlights from Japan’s win against Spain in Wellington >>>>
20,078 (39th)
Men’s A-League, regular season
Game played on Saturday November 19, 2011
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Wellington Phoenix 1 (own goal 83′)
Adelaide United 1 (Bruce Djité 44′)
20,000 (40th)
*Estimated
Friendly
Game played on May 29, 1982
Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
New Zealand 0
Watford 2 (Luther Blissett 2)
19,183 (41st)
Carlsberg Football United Tour
Game played on Tuesday July 28, 2014
Eden Park, Auckland
Wellington Phoenix 2 (Andrew Durante 11′, Alex Rodrigues 27′)
West Ham United 1 (Mauro Zárate 70′)
This story was first published on December 25, 2024, and updated on December 26, 2024 and February 22, 2025.