New Zealand

New Zealand sits at Pacific/Auckland, which puts the All Whites at UTC+12 in standard time (UTC+13 in daylight saving, but June in New Zealand is winter, so UTC+12 applies). This makes North American evening kickoffs brutal: a match starting at 18:00 in Los Angeles becomes 13:00 the next day in Auckland.

All three New Zealand group stage matches line up against this challenge. The opener on June 15 against Iran in Los Angeles kicks off at 18:00 Pacific. In Auckland that is 11:00 the next morning. A reasonable brunch match, actually.

The second game on June 21 against Egypt in Vancouver starts at 18:00 Pacific, translating to 11:00 June 22 in New Zealand. Same deal.

The third group match on June 26 against Belgium in Vancouver kicks off at 20:00 Pacific, landing at 15:00 June 27 in Auckland. An afternoon match back home.

New Zealand fans are used to watching European leagues and Champions League football at peculiar local hours, so the reverse situation creates an interesting inversion. The Vancouver slot is actually the most favorable on the West Coast for Kiwi fans, sitting closer to their morning window than East Coast US venues would be.

New Zealand qualified through the OFC route, and the squad has developed considerably. Group G with Belgium, Egypt, and Iran gives the All Whites a genuine path to consider. Check the timezone tool on this page for exact Auckland and Wellington kickoff times.