New Zealand booked their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday with a 3-0 victory over New Caledonia in the final of the Oceania zone tournament in Auckland.
This will be the All Whites’ third appearance at the World Cup, following three defeats in 1982 and three draws in 2010. The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July.
However, New Caledonia’s hopes of playing in the World Cup for the first time are not yet over. New Caledonia will be taking part in an intercontinental play-off, a six-nation tournament that will determine the last two teams to qualify.
The expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams means that New Zealand, ranked 89th in the Fifa rankings, can qualify directly for the first time after winning the Oceania Zone qualifiers, and also benefits from Australia’s membership of the Asian Football Confederation since 2006.
In addition to the three host countries, Australia joins Japan, the first nation to secure its ticket on the pitch last Thursday.
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