Fifa World Cup 2026: What you need to know about New Zealand

Get the lowdown onevery team at the 2026 World Cup. Here we take a closer look at New Zealand.

What can I expect from New Zealand?

The lowest-ranked team at the 2026 World Cup cruised through qualifying, beating New Caledonia (ranked 151st in the world) 3-0 in the Oceania final.

The All Whites are a big fish in a small OFC pond, and a shift of mindset is required for their first World Cup finals in 16 years.

Having dominated possession against Oceania's minnows, they've adopted a more defensive approach in recent friendlies, recognising their limitations while still looking dangerous on the break.

Their fit-again captain, Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood, is likely to play a pivotal role. Wood is one of only two players in the squad with World Cup experience, the other being 36-year-old defender Tommy Smith, who was relegated from the National League with Braintree Town this season.

What are New Zealand strengths?

New Zealand's regular 4-2-3-1 formation literally plays to its strength, allowing key man Chris Wood to lead the line. The All Whites' record scorer found the net nine times in five matches in qualifying and his 92 Premier League goals are proof that he can be a match for any defence.

And what about their weaknesses?

Being on the other side of the world, it's tricky getting your best players together for international friendlies. New Zealand's first eleven looks good on paper but may take time to gel. There's also a question mark over their defence which was rarely tested in qualifying.

How might New Zealand line up?

Which players should I look out for?

Right back Tim Payne experienced social media fame when an Argentine influencer decided he was the least-known footballer at this World Cup, and urged people to give him support. Within days Payne's Instagram account had five million followers.

Chris Wood has a mere 163k followers but is their record scorer and a threat to any defence. The Nottingham Forest striker had knee surgery in December and his fitness will be managed carefully.

Wide midfielder Elijah Just lit up the Scottish Premiership this season with Motherwell and was shortlisted for PFA Scotland's Premiership Player of the Year award. His form has led to transfer rumours but he says he won't be distracted by 'outside noise'.

Who is New Zealand's head coach?

Englishman Darren Bazeley has been a popular figure since taking charge in 2023. The former Watford defender ended his playing career in New Zealand and made his name as a national age-group coach there. This will be his first World Cup.

How did New Zealand qualify?

The All Whites secured the sole automatic spot for Oceania nations, winning all five of their OFC qualifiers with 29 goals scored and just one conceded.

Where can I watch New Zealand?

All of New Zealand's matches will also be covered live on the BBC Sport website and app with updates, analysis, and fan reaction. Come and be part of it!

Give me a fact to impress my friends

Although New Zealand is home to the legendary All Blacks, and rugby union is considered the national sport, the country's biggest participation sport is football with over 170,000 players are registered.

Now give me some proper detail

As the lowest-ranked side at the 2026 World Cup, New Zealand are hoping to defy expectations. A 4-0 warm-up defeat to Haiti, just two places above them in the Fifa world rankings at 83 (as of 4 June), suggests they will struggle to do so.

It was a defeat that left their English head coach, Darren Bazeley, shell-shocked: "It's a very harsh lesson for us," he said. Just weeks earlier he had been talking about making history and reaching the knockout stage for the first time.

Of course, they still might; New Zealand do have have an inspirational captain in Chris Wood, who was their top scorer in qualifying and has scored 92 Premier League goals against considerably tougher opposition.

He is already the country's record goalscorer (45) and became the most capped All White (89) against Haiti, one of the few positives to come from that game.

Usually Wood's fitness would be the main talking point around the camp but, thanks to Tim Payne's new-found social media fame (five million Instagram followers and counting) the focus is elsewhere.

The 32-year-old Wellington Phoenix right back was identified as the World Cup's least-known footballer by an influencer, who wanted to get Tim Payne 'on everyone's lips.'

How have New Zealand done at previous World Cups?

The All Whites failed to make it out of the group stage or win a match in their two previous appearances. They lost all three games in 1982 and drew all three in 2010, when they were nonetheless the only unbeaten side in the tournament.