[2] Six regional federations participate in the administration and promotion of the sport in New Zealand: The first Chatham Cup final was played in October 1923, when Seacliff from Otago defeated Wellington YMCA 4–0.

[13] New Zealand hosted the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship, with matches played in Auckland, Napier, Christchurch and Dunedin.

During the later stages of the 2006–07 season, Football Federation Australia (FFA) removed the New Zealand Knights's (NZK) A-League licence due to the club's financial and administrative problems and poor on-field performance.

After the resignation of the NZK board, the FFA transferred the licence to New Zealand Soccer for them to administrate the rest of the club's season before its subsequent dissolution.

After these events, the FFA granted a provisional competition licence for New Zealand Soccer to sub-let to a suitable, New Zealand-based team to take the place left vacant by the defunct Knights.

After much delay from both the FFA and NZS, Wellington property magnate Terry Serepisos was selected as the owner of the new franchise.

With only three months to prepare, the Phoenix faced a first season without a proper pre-season and with a much smaller talent pool to recruit from.

The first game in Phoenix history, a 2–2 draw with then-reigning champion Melbourne Victory, set a new national record for attendance at a competitive football fixture at 14,421.

The Phoenix followed this match with an exhibition friendly against Los Angeles Galaxy, including their marquee player David Beckham.

[citation needed] On 7 March 2010 a new attendance record for a club football fixture was set in Wellington during play-off match against Newcastle Jets.

Each season, two clubs gain qualification to the OFC Champions League, the continental competition for the Oceania region.

The NSL ceased to exist after the 2003 season, being replaced by the ISPS Handa Premiership, a professional/semi-professional franchise league which ran from 2004 to 2021.

The Women's National League was founded in 2004 and, unlike its male counterpart, the teams were run by the different regional federations.

The competition runs alongside the winter club seasons, beginning in April and usually concluding in September.