New Zealand

🌍 World Cup Story

New Zealand have appeared at the World Cup twice before — 1982 and 2010. In 2010 in South Africa they produced one of the tournament's great stories: drawing all three group games (against Slovakia, Italy, and Paraguay) to become the only unbeaten team not to advance from the group stage. That 1-1 draw with Italy — the defending champions — was extraordinary. Chris Wood, now one of the Premier League's most reliable goalscorers, is their captain and talisman. Their path through OFC (Oceania) qualification is less competitive than other confederations, but they have proven capable of troubling bigger nations. In a group with Belgium, Egypt, and Iran, every point will feel like a victory.