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Football Ferns great joins Auckland FC for Chelsea clash
Sport Nation • July 20th, 2026 3:00 pm
Abby Erceg | Photo: Photosport
Football Ferns great Abby Erceg has been announced as the first player to join Auckland FC for their Women's Invitational XI team.
The 36-year-old has played at four FIFA Women’s World Cups and four Olympic Games, becoming the most capped player in Football Ferns history with 146 appearances, including 49 as captain.
Erceg hopes the team led by Jenny Bindon and Kirsty Yallop will inspire the next generation of women's football in New Zealand.
“I’ve had such a long and fruitful career in the women’s game and I’m so excited to be able to inspire the next generation of female footballers in this country,” Erceg said in a statement.
“Bringing a team together and playing against one of the best women’s sides on the globe... it’s a chance to show young girls in this country that the dream of playing professional football is very real and achievable, for me that’s the whole point."
Abby Erceg | Photo: Photosport
Jenny Bindon, the head coach of Auckland FC’s Women’s side for the one-off match, said it was "incredibly special" to have her former teammate as part of the team.
“She is a legendary Football Fern and someone who has helped shape women’s football in New Zealand through the way she has played, led and represented our country.
“To have a player of Abby’s calibre and character step onto the field at Eden Park against a club like Chelsea is something really special.
“She represents what is possible for the next generation, and I know her leadership, experience and presence will mean so much to this group and to the young girls watching from the stands.”
Abby Erceg | Photo: Photosport
Erceg's career spans across multiple countries, spending many years in the United States in the NWSL where she won three titles with the Western New York Flash in 2016 and two with the North Carolina Courage in 2018 and 2019.
Most recently, Erceg has been playing in Mexico with Toluca in the LIGA MX Femenil.
The Auckland FC Women will face the eight-time WSL champions at Eden Park on August 8.
