It was the second consecutive FIFA World Cup play-off that New Zealand has played in; New Zealand won 1–0 on aggregate over Bahrain in its previous play-off. The draw for the order in which the two matches would be played was held on 30 July 2011 during the FIFA at the World Cup Preliminary Draw.
The games were played on 13 November in Mexico City and 20 November 2013 in Wellington.[3] In the first leg at Estadio Azteca, Mexico easily defeated New Zealand 5–1. The Mexican side achieved another win over New Zealand in the second leg at Westpac Stadium with a score of 4–2. As a result, Mexico won 9–3 on aggregate to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil.