New Zealand arrive at the 2026 World Cup for only the third time in their history, joining their 1982 debut in Spain and a remarkable 2010 campaign in South Africa. The All Whites have never won a title and have never advanced past the group stage, but their record in South Africa remains one of football's more extraordinary footnotes: they left the tournament unbeaten, the only team to do so, after three draws including a one all result against defending champions Italy, with Shane Smeltz scoring the opener in the seventh minute before Italy levelled from the penalty spot.

New Zealand's route to 2026 was historic in its own right. The Oceania confederation received a direct World Cup berth for the first time, and the All Whites claimed it with authority. They topped their second round group before entering the knockout stage in March 2025, defeating Fiji seven nil at Sky Stadium in Wellington on 21 March, then beating New Caledonia three nil in the final at Eden Park, Auckland, on 03/24/25. Michael Boxall, Kosta Barbarouses, and Elijah Just were the scorers. New Zealand finished with five wins from five matches, scoring 29 goals and conceding just one throughout the entire campaign.