Osasuna’s Bernabéu Test; Thomas Back for All Whites
LaLiga kicks off with Osasuna staring down one of the toughest assignments in Spanish football – a trip to the Santiago Bernabéu to face Real Madrid in their opening fixture. Jagoba Arrasate’s men, who surprised many with their resilience last season, will need to summon all their grit to trouble Carlo Ancelotti’s European heavyweights in front of a roaring home crowd.
While Spanish football gears up for a high-profile start, New Zealand fans are celebrating a long-awaited return on the international stage. After six injury-plagued years in Dutch football, midfielder Ryan Thomas has been named in Darren Bazeley’s squad for the All Whites’ September friendlies against Australia.
Thomas, 30, last represented New Zealand in a 2019 friendly against Ireland but has battled through multiple knee injuries since his 2018 move to PSV Eindhoven. Following surgeries and setbacks, he has rediscovered fitness at PEC Zwolle, regaining a starting role in the Eredivisie.
“It’s like a new signing, almost, which we don’t get, obviously, because we’re not a club team,” coach Bazeley told local media. “Having somebody of the calibre and quality of Ryan coming back into the team is great.”
Hailing from Te Puke, a town best known for its kiwifruit, Thomas rose to prominence with Zwolle as a teenager before transitioning from winger to holding midfielder. His PSV switch was hailed as a landmark move for New Zealand football, but injuries quickly derailed his progress.
Despite withdrawing from international duty in recent years, Thomas has remained supportive of the national side, notably congratulating captain Chris Wood after qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. His return is seen as a major boost for the squad ahead of their campaign in North America.
Bazeley revealed Thomas was eager to face Australia in the trans-Tasman clashes on September 5 and 9, saying: “He was like, ‘Man, I’ve never played against Australia and I really want to play against them.’ So yeah, he’s in, which is great.”
Wood, fresh from scoring twice for Nottingham Forest in their Premier League opener against Brentford, will once again lead the All Whites in the so-called “Soccer Ashes” – a nod to cricket’s storied rivalry between Australia and England.