Tottenham begin their pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand with a friendly against Auckland FC in the hosts’ home country. After an encouraging opening outing against MK Dons, Spurs will now face a much sterner test against the reigning A-League champions.
Two months without club football finally came to an end on a positive note for Tottenham, who kicked off their pre-season schedule with a 1-0 victory over MK Dons in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Hotspur Way.
An absolute screamer from £85m summer signing Mateus Fernandes inside five minutes proved to be the difference, but the result only told part of the story. More encouraging was the glimpse supporters got of the attacking build-up patterns Roberto De Zerbi is looking to implement, ahead of his first full season in charge.
After narrowly avoiding relegation last season, Tottenham have well backed the head coach in rebuilding the squad, having already spent £237m on 6 new arrivals this summer, with all but one making the trip for the club’s pre-season tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Auckland, meanwhile, begin life under new head coach Pedro Moreira after lifting the A-League title last season. The New Zealand outfit are the reigning Australian champions, having edged Tottenham’s next opponents Sydney FC 1-0 in the Grand Final at the end of May.
What time does Auckland FC vs Tottenham kick off?
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
- Stadium: Eden Park
- Date: Sunday, 26 July 2026
- Kick-off time: 4am BST
Where to watch Auckland FC vs Tottenham
If you’re determined enough to set a 4am alarm for a pre-season friendly, first of all, fair play. Secondly, your best (and pretty much only) option is SPURSPLAY, assuming it’s available in your region.
Supporters who miss the live action will be able to catch highlights on SPURSPLAY shortly after full-time, while the club will also upload the same on their YouTube channel later.
Tottenham’s official X account will provide clips and updates throughout the match as well.
Spurs team news
Tottenham have named a 35-man travelling squad for their Australia and New Zealand tour, with new signings Jan Paul van Hecke and Andy Robertson both included after having missed the victory over MK Dons.
The only summer arrival absent is Marcos Senesi, who remains on an extended break after helping his country reach the latter stages of the World Cup. The same applies to club captain Cristian Romero, Djed Spence, Rodrigo Bentancur, Pape Matar Sarr and finally World Cup winner Pedro Porro.
On the injury front, Mohammed Kudus, Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Guglielmo Vicario have all remained in England as they continue their respective rehabilitation programmes.
Predicted Tottenham line-ups
First half: Kinsky; Gray, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson; Fernandes, Williams-Barnett, Gallagher; Yang, Tel, Solanke.
Second half: Dubravka; Byrne, Danso, Takai, Udogie; Tonali, Bergvall, Maddison; Solomon, Richarlison, Moore.
Pre-season line-up predictions are rarely accurate, but these are the players expected to see the bulk of the minutes even if De Zerbi mixes up who plays alongside whom or changes the split between each half.
There should also be opportunities for several youngsters, including Mason Melia, Tye Hall, Rio Kyerematen and Jamie Donley.
Our Spurs score prediction
More than 40,000 tickets have already been sold for the contest at the 50,000-capacity Eden Park; New Zealand’s biggest stadium, which goes to say how much anticipation there is around Tottenham’s visit.
And 17-year-old Luca Williams-Barnett is certainly one to keep an eye on after an eye-catching display against MK Dons. The Tottenham academy player completed more dribbles than any other player on the pitch and also created a game-high three chances. He could well be the difference maker here.
That said, the result will always matter far less than the performance and further signs of De Zerbi’s tactical ideas taking shape, but Spurs will still be keen to continue building momentum before their fixtures against Sydney FC and Chelsea.
Predicted score: Auckland FC 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur