New Zealand created history by becoming the first-ever team from the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) to earn the direct qualification spot for the FIFA World Cup, as the “All Whites” have recorded their third FIFA World Cup qualification after beating New Caledonia by 3-0 in the Final of the WC Qualifiers (OFC) on Monday.
2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers (OFC): New Zealand beat New Caledonia in the Final
In the WC Qualifiers (OFC) Final on Monday, the New Zealand vs New Caledonia match at Eden Park in Auckland was played, where the first half ended in goalless. In the second half, Michael Boxall and Konstantinos Barbarouses scored the first two goals of the Final in the 61st and 66th minutes, respectively. Winger Elijah Henry Just sealed the game for the All Whites with his 80th-minute goal as New Zealand booked their place for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
New Zealand dominated in the entire 2026 FIFA WC Qualifiers (OFC); Chris Wood recorded most goals
New Zealand started the 2026 FIFA WC Qualifiers (OFC) in the second round as they are the best FIFA-ranked team from the OFC. In Group B of the second round, New Zealand had the opponents Tahiti, Vanuatu, and Samoa. All Whites won all three matches in that group stage to qualify for the third round in the Qualifiers, as they beat Tahiti by 3-0, Vanuatu by 8-1, and Samoa by 8-0.
New Zealand’s third round started with the Semi-final match against the second-round Group A runners-up Fiji, where the All Whites recorded a 7-0 scoreline. In the Final, New Zealand beat New Caledonia by 3-0.
After the third-round Final result, New Caledonia became the first team to qualify for the inter-confederation play-offs of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, which will be played in March 2026 with six teams from five out of six participating confederations (excluding UEFA, who have their own playoffs). While the FIFA World Cup 2026 will start in June 2026, the best two teams from the inter-confederation play-offs of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers will book their places for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
New Zealand’s captain and all-time leading goal-scorer Chris Wood, the Premier League legend who serves for Nottingham Forest, ended the 2026 FIFA WC Qualifiers (OFC) as the leading goal-scorer with nine goals, including two hat-tricks. He missed out on scoring only once in the entire qualification, which was in the Final, where he was injured in the early second half.
New Zealand: 1st team to directly qualify from the OFC (without inter-confederation play-offs) in a FIFA World Cup
It is the third time New Zealand have qualified for a FIFA World Cup. They made their FIFA WC debut in 1982 and also participated in the 2010 edition.
It is the first time that an OFC team has directly earned a qualification spot for the FIFA World Cup, not playing any inter-confederation play-offs.
New Zealand in the FIFA World Cup
All Whites have never crossed the Group Stage in their two FIFA World Cup editions.
Do you know that New Zealand drew all three games in the FIFA World Cup 2010, while they had the Group F opponents Slovakia, defending champions Italy, and Paraguay?
New Zealand are winless in the FIFA World Cup. In their six matches in the tournament history, the All Whites recorded three losses and three draws