The chance to meet a real-life Football Fern is a moment Hamilton Girls' High School student Fatima Hussain Ali won't forget in a hurry.

The 16-year-old watched as the Football Ferns kicked off their FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign in front of Hamilton fans this weekend.

In 2016, she arrived in New Zealand with her mum and five siblings as refugees from Pakistan. Within hours of landing in Auckland, she was kicking a ball for the first time.

"The first day the guys were playing football and they were like, "You wanna come?" she said.

Now, when called to play, she's the only girl on the field for her club's under-15 boys team. As well as playing for her club, she's put together an all-girls Muslim team.

"Next thing I want is as many girls as possible to play, to enjoy what they love and to do something as a hobby, you know?"

To find out more about Fatima and her meeting with one of her sporting heroes, watch the video on the 1 News website here.