Congratulations to Sena Vesty and the NZ U16 Football team for placing second at the global U16 Football tournament in Zurich, Switzerland last week.
The 2025 tournament featured six teams, from all six of the FIFA confederations, split into two groups:
Group A – Guatemala, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Switzerland
Group B – Malaysia, Paraguay, and Tunisia
The New Zealand team won their first game, led by Sena for the last 30 minutes, vs Switzerland 3-2 and then took out their second game vs Guatemala 2-1.
Their wins saw them top their group and play in the final against Paraguay where they unfortunately were defeated 3-0. The team did exceptionally well given the the squad had limited preparation with the players scattered across the globe.
Sena was one of 14 players based in Aotearoa New Zealand with a further eight playing overseas in Australia, England, and the USA.
The FIFA Youth Series is designed to provide U-16 players the chance to train, compete, and showcase their skills on the international stage.
