New Zealand has had a club in every A-League season since the first in 2005-06: the New Zealand Knights for two seasons, Wellington Phoenix since 2007-08 and, since 2024-25, Auckland FC alongside them. We rebuilt all 23 of those club seasons from the final ladders and every finals-series match, 2005-06 to 2025-26.
New Zealand teams in the A-League at a glance
- New Zealand Knights, 2005-06 and 2006-07: last of eight both seasons, 6 wins in 42 games.
- Wellington Phoenix, 2007-08 to 2025-26: 19 seasons, finals in 9 (47 percent), 3 finals ties won out of 12, no Grand Final. Best season 2023-24, second on 53 points.
- Auckland FC, 2024-25 and 2025-26: premiers in their first season with 53 points, champions in their second after finishing third.
- New Zealand Derby: Auckland FC have won all six league meetings, 20 goals to 4.
Wellington Phoenix history: finishes and finals record
Over 19 seasons the Phoenix have won 178 league games, drawn 113 and lost 207, for 1.30 points a game. They missed the finals 10 times and finished last twice, in their first season, 2007-08, and in 2012-13. Their nine finals series came in three spells: three in a row from 2009-10, one in 2014-15 and five in six seasons from 2018-19.
Six clubs have played more finals series than the Phoenix, and each has reached at least three Grand Finals. In finals matches the Phoenix have won 2, drawn 2 and lost 9, and they have not won one since beating Sydney FC 3-2 at home in an elimination final on March 30, 2012. The seven finals ties since then were all lost.
| Season | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Semi-final | Melbourne Victory | Lost 1-2 on aggregate after extra time |
| 2022-23 | Elimination final | Adelaide United | Lost 0-2 away |
| 2021-22 | Elimination final | Western United | Lost 0-1 away |
| 2019-20 | Elimination final | Perth Glory | Lost 0-1 |
| 2018-19 | Elimination final | Melbourne Victory | Lost 1-3 away |
| 2014-15 | Elimination final | Melbourne City | Lost 0-2 at home |
| 2011-12 | Semi-final | Perth Glory | Lost 2-3 away after extra time |
| 2011-12 | Elimination final | Sydney FC | Won 3-2 at home |
| 2010-11 | Semi-final | Adelaide United | Lost 0-1 away |
| 2009-10 | Preliminary final | Sydney FC | Lost 2-4 away |
| 2009-10 | Semi-final | Newcastle Jets | Won 3-1 at home after extra time |
| 2009-10 | Elimination final | Perth Glory | Drew 1-1 at home, won 4-2 on penalties |
Wellington Phoenix best seasons and the Grand Final near-misses
The closest the Phoenix have come to a Grand Final was 2009-10. Fourth on the ladder, they beat Perth Glory on penalties and the Newcastle Jets 3-1 after extra time, then lost the preliminary final 4-2 at Sydney FC, one game short.
Their best regular season was 2023-24: 15 wins, 8 draws and 4 losses, 53 points and second place, their highest finish. The semi-final against Melbourne Victory went 0-0 in Melbourne and 1-2 after extra time in Wellington, in front of 33,297 at Sky Stadium, the club's biggest crowd. The other two seasons above 1.5 points a game were 2014-15, fourth with 46 points, and 2019-20, third with 41.
New Zealand A-League clubs season by season
| Season | Club | Ladder | W-D-L | Points | Finals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Auckland FC | 3rd of 12 | 11-9-6 | 42 | Won the Grand Final |
| 2025-26 | Wellington Phoenix | 8th of 12 | 9-6-11 | 33 | Missed |
| 2024-25 | Auckland FC | 1st of 13 | 15-8-3 | 53 | Lost in the semi-final |
| 2024-25 | Wellington Phoenix | 11th of 13 | 6-6-14 | 24 | Missed |
| 2023-24 | Wellington Phoenix | 2nd of 12 | 15-8-4 | 53 | Lost in the semi-final |
| 2022-23 | Wellington Phoenix | 6th of 12 | 9-8-9 | 35 | Lost in the elimination final |
| 2021-22 | Wellington Phoenix | 6th of 12 | 12-3-11 | 39 | Lost in the elimination final |
| 2020-21 | Wellington Phoenix | 7th of 12 | 10-8-8 | 38 | Missed |
| 2019-20 | Wellington Phoenix | 3rd of 11 | 12-5-9 | 41 | Lost in the elimination final |
| 2018-19 | Wellington Phoenix | 6th of 10 | 11-7-9 | 40 | Lost in the elimination final |
| 2017-18 | Wellington Phoenix | 9th of 10 | 5-6-16 | 21 | Missed |
| 2016-17 | Wellington Phoenix | 7th of 10 | 8-6-13 | 30 | Missed |
| 2015-16 | Wellington Phoenix | 9th of 10 | 7-4-16 | 25 | Missed |
| 2014-15 | Wellington Phoenix | 4th of 10 | 14-4-9 | 46 | Lost in the elimination final |
| 2013-14 | Wellington Phoenix | 9th of 10 | 7-7-13 | 28 | Missed |
| 2012-13 | Wellington Phoenix | 10th of 10 | 7-6-14 | 27 | Missed |
| 2011-12 | Wellington Phoenix | 4th of 10 | 12-4-11 | 40 | Lost in the semi-final |
| 2010-11 | Wellington Phoenix | 6th of 11 | 12-5-13 | 41 | Lost in the semi-final |
| 2009-10 | Wellington Phoenix | 4th of 10 | 10-10-7 | 40 | Lost in the preliminary final |
| 2008-09 | Wellington Phoenix | 6th of 8 | 7-5-9 | 26 | Missed |
| 2007-08 | Wellington Phoenix | 8th of 8 | 5-5-11 | 20 | Missed |
| 2006-07 | New Zealand Knights | 8th of 8 | 5-4-12 | 19 | Missed |
| 2005-06 | New Zealand Knights | 8th of 8 | 1-3-17 | 6 | Missed |
Auckland FC: premiers in 2024-25, champions in 2025-26
Auckland FC's first season was the best by any New Zealand club on points per game: 15 wins, 8 draws and 3 losses, 53 points from 26 games, 2.04 a game, and the Premier's Plate. Their finals lasted one round: they won the first leg of the semi-final 1-0 at Melbourne Victory and lost the second 2-0 at home, and Melbourne City won the title.
In 2025-26 they finished third with 42 points behind the premiers, the Newcastle Jets. They beat Melbourne City 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in an elimination final, Adelaide United 4-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals and then Sydney FC 1-0 in the Grand Final on May 23, 2026, at Mount Smart Stadium, through a second-half goal from Cameron Howieson in front of 28,374. They are the first New Zealand club to win the A-League title. Our article on A-League premiers and champions puts that run in context: only three champions have come from lower than second.
The New Zealand Derby: Auckland FC vs Wellington Phoenix
Six league meetings, six Auckland wins, 20 goals to 4. The first was a 2-0 win in Wellington on November 2, 2024; the biggest margins were 6-1 in Auckland in February 2025 and 5-0 in Wellington on February 21, 2026, after which Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano resigned.
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2, 2024 | Wellington Phoenix | 0-2 | Auckland FC | Sky Stadium, Wellington |
| December 7, 2024 | Auckland FC | 2-1 | Wellington Phoenix | Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland |
| February 22, 2025 | Auckland FC | 6-1 | Wellington Phoenix | Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland |
| November 8, 2025 | Wellington Phoenix | 1-2 | Auckland FC | Sky Stadium, Wellington |
| December 6, 2025 | Auckland FC | 3-1 | Wellington Phoenix | Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland |
| February 21, 2026 | Wellington Phoenix | 0-5 | Auckland FC | Sky Stadium, Wellington |
The New Zealand Knights, 2005 to 2007
Before the Phoenix, New Zealand's place in the league belonged to the Auckland-based New Zealand Knights. They won 1 of 21 games in 2005-06, scoring 15 goals and conceding 47, and 5 of 21 in 2006-07, finishing last of eight both times. Football Federation Australia revoked their licence in December 2006, and Wellington Phoenix took the New Zealand place from 2007-08.
Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix in the 2026-27 season
The 2026-27 A-League Men season started on Friday, October 16, with 12 clubs playing 26 games each; the top six reach the finals and the Grand Final is set for the weekend of June 3 to 6, 2027. Both New Zealand clubs began with a new full-time coach: Pedro Moreira, appointed by Auckland FC on July 30 after Steve Corica left for Yokohama F. Marinos, and Chris Greenacre, confirmed by the Phoenix in April after finishing 2025-26 as caretaker. After three rounds Wellington lead the ladder with three wins and Auckland are sixth with four points. Results so far, and the next derby, in New Zealand time:
- Auckland FC: a 3-1 win over Melbourne City at Go Media Stadium on October 17, then a 5-2 defeat at the Western Sydney Wanderers on October 24 and a 1-1 draw at Brisbane Roar on October 30.
- Wellington Phoenix: a 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory at Hnry Stadium on October 18, the Phoenix's 20th season opening against their first A-League opponent, from August 2007, then 2-0 against Central Coast Mariners on October 25 and 3-0 at the Newcastle Jets on October 31.
- New Zealand Derby, all at 5 p.m. on Saturdays: November 7 in Auckland, December 19 in Wellington and February 13, 2027, in Auckland, per Auckland FC's fixture release.
Follow both clubs on the A-League table and the A-League fixtures and results, and use the A-League ladder simulator to play out the season and see whether the Phoenix make the top six.
New Zealand A-League clubs: frequently asked questions
How many New Zealand teams are in the A-League? Two in the men's competition: Wellington Phoenix, since 2007-08, and Auckland FC, since 2024-25. The New Zealand Knights played the first two seasons, 2005-06 and 2006-07.
Have Wellington Phoenix ever played in an A-League Grand Final? No. They have reached the finals 9 times in 19 seasons; the closest was the 2009-10 preliminary final, lost 4-2 at Sydney FC.
Has a New Zealand club won the A-League? Yes. Auckland FC won the 2025-26 Grand Final, 1-0 against Sydney FC, a year after winning the Premier's Plate in their first season.
What is the New Zealand Derby? The league fixture between Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix, first played in November 2024. Auckland FC have won all six meetings so far, 20 goals to 4.
How this was built: final regular-season ladders and every finals-series match from 2005-06 to 2025-26, taken from the Wikipedia A-League season articles and the finals-series articles they transclude. We grouped finals matches into ties and decided each one on the score, the two-leg aggregate or the shootout; ladder places are the official ones. The Phoenix's records match the season-by-season table of the club's Wikipedia article except three typos in that table (2012-13 points, 2013-14 goals against, 2022-23 points), where we kept the season ladders, which add up. Derby results come from the season results grids, checked against the ladder totals: the grid shows Auckland's December 2024 win as 2-0, one Wellington goal short of both ladders, and we used 2-1, as in the derby article. The 2026-27 fixtures and coaches were checked against the A-Leagues, Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix releases linked above on October 5, 2026, and the results and the ladder after three rounds against ESPN's match data of November 3.