The Football Ferns are primed and ready for the biggest stage of their careers as they prepare to kick off the Women's World Cup on home soil.
New Zealand face the formidable challenge of former winners Norway in the tournament's opening game in Auckland, just hours before the Matildas play Ireland in Sydney.
The Football Ferns, who have never won a single World Cup match, are firm underdogs, and they know it.
Norway's forward line, headed by Ada Hegerberg and Caroline Graham Hansen, is truly world class and will make life tough for the Kiwis.
Co-captain Ali Riley, appearing at her fifth World Cup, agreed the match would be the biggest of her life - but that a breakthrough World Cup win would be "the greatest game that I will ever have in my career".
On Thursday at Eden Park, they will break a record for the biggest crowd for a football match - either male or female - in New Zealand.
That record is all the more remarkable given the national women's football team had not been allowed to play at New Zealand's national stadium before this year.
"To have a packed stadium is really important for a few different reasons," Riley said.
"I was at the 1999 World Cup final in Los Angeles and I know what that did for me as a young girl ... that noise will give us energy.
"I know what that can do for any little girl seeing these players, these awesome, confident empowered women just living their dreams.
"That will help the young people watching just dream even bigger and believe that anything is possible."
Coach Jitka Klimkova, who oversaw a 10-match winless run until a 2-0 win against Vietnam in Napier last week, said she was delighted to have a fully fit squad of 23 to pick from.
"One of the challenges in our journey was a lot of injuries," she said.
"Everybody is ready to perform tomorrow. And that's incredible ... this is what we were aiming for and and the players really worked hard to be in this place."
Riley said she was given further inspiration visiting victims of Cyclone Gabrielle, which lashed New Zealand in February, rendering thousands homeless in Hawke's Bay, when they played their warm-up match in Napier.
"Speaking to people that have lost everything ... talking to relief workers and we visited a food bank as well" she said.
"For them to be so stoked to meet us, when they are the real heroes, it really is humbling.
"They're another amazing group of people that we really want to make proud."
