New Zealand
Qualified directly
New Zealand's 2026 World Cup Campaign
New Zealand's journey in the 2026 World Cup group phase begins with cautious optimism. Historically, their best finish has been the group stage in 1982 and 2010, and they enter this tournament ranked 107th with no points on the board yet in Group G. Their recent qualifying campaign was impressive, boasting four wins and one draw, conceding just three goals while netting 28 — quite the defensive stoutness paired with a productive attack.
Their run-up to the finals saw them dispatching regional rivals comfortably, including an 8-0 and 7-0 win against Samoa and Fiji respectively, showing they can find the net when the opposition allows. The opening match against Iran ended in a 2-2 draw, indicating that while New Zealand's attack can deliver, their defence may face stern tests against higher-ranked teams.
Looking ahead, New Zealand will aim to build on this solid foundation as they prepare to face Egypt at home. With their history of group stage appearances, they will be eager to add a fresh chapter to their World Cup story, hoping to surprise a few neutrals along the way.
Group G
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Belgium | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | +4 | 5 |
| 2 |  Egypt | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 5 |
| 3 |  Iran | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 |  New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -6 | 1 |
Squad pedigree
2 of 21 squad players (10%) play club football in a top-5 European league.
Spotlight
League position
Position 40Points trajectory
Rank 40FIFA world ranking
#68
Manager
D. Bazeley
England
Season at a glance
Streaks
Last result
New Zealand's Form Story for World Cup 2026
New Zealand enter the World Cup 2026 campaign on the back of an impressively consistent run of form, with a five-match sequence unbeaten — four wins and a single draw. Their biggest win streak of four consecutive victories shows they can maintain momentum rather than being a team prone to erratic bursts of performance.
Interestingly, the only points dropped came from a draw, not a defeat, underlining their defensive solidity with just three goals conceded across those five matches. Their attacking prowess is clear too, netting 28 goals in total, suggesting they can trouble opponents in front of goal.
While their history at the World Cup has them pegged at group stage exits in previous appearances, this form hints they might fancy their chances of stirring things up in Group G. After all, a team that rarely loses is difficult to write off, even if the bookmakers might have forgotten to take note.
Statistics
Home / Away splits
Week-by-week trends
team vs league avg (dashed)New Zealand's Home and Away Dynamics
New Zealand's recent campaign in the 2026 season reveals a side that enjoys a fortress-like status at home, scoring freely and conceding rarely. Their home fixtures have been a showcase of attacking verve and defensive solidity, with a significant haul of goals and clean sheets to boot.
Away from home, the story is slightly different. Although their attacking output remains respectable, the defence has shown a crack or two, conceding more than at home. This split suggests that while the All Whites are comfortable and confident on their own turf, they may need to tighten up when the pitch is less familiar.
As they face Egypt at home in the World Cup 2026 group stage, they will hope to leverage this home advantage. The contrast in their home and away form could well be a defining factor in their quest to progress beyond the group stage for only the third time in their history.
Fipster's Prediction Record for New Zealand
Fipster's model is still building a record on New Zealand in the World Cup 2026 campaign, with only one scored fixture to date. Unfortunately, that lone prediction didn't quite hit the mark, registering a miss rather than a star or tick. It's early days yet, so let's see if Fipster can sharpen its crystal ball before the Kiwis kick off their group stage matches.
Squad
| # | Player | Pos | Club | League | Apps | G | A | Mins | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  M. CrocombeGoalkeeper | Goalkeeper |  Millwall |  Championship | 48 | 0 | 0 | 2070 | 7.02 |
| 12 |  A. PaulsenGoalkeeper | Goalkeeper | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 22 |  M. WoudGoalkeeper | Goalkeeper |  Auckland |  A-League | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 |  T. PayneDefender | Defender |  Wellington Phoenix | A-League | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 |  F. de VriesDefender | Defender | Auckland | A-League | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 |  Tyler BindonDefender | Defender |  Sheffield Utd | Championship | 37 | 1 | 0 | 2029 | 6.90 |
| 5 |  M. BoxallDefender | Defender |  Minnesota United FC |  Major League Soccer | 7 | 0 | 0 | 405 | 6.71 |
| 13 |  L. CacaceDefender | Defender |  Wrexham | Championship | 18 | 0 | 0 | 727 | 6.63 |
| 15 |  N. PijnakerDefender | Defender | Auckland | A-League | — | — | — | — | — |
| 16 |  F. SurmanDefender | Defender |  Portland Timbers | Major League Soccer | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1243 | 7.11 |
| 24 |  C. ElliotDefender | Defender | Auckland | A-League | — | — | — | — | — |
| 26 |  T. SmithDefender | Defender | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 6 |  J. BellMidfielder | Midfielder | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 |  M. StamenićMidfielder | Midfielder |  Swansea | Championship | 38 | 3 | 2 | 2500 | 6.80 |
| 10 |  S. SinghMidfielder | Midfielder | Wellington Phoenix | A-League | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11 |  E. JustMidfielder | Midfielder |  Motherwell |  Premiership | 36 | 7 | 7 | 2698 | 7.13 |
| 14 |  A. RuferMidfielder | Midfielder | Wellington Phoenix | A-League | — | — | — | — | — |
| 20 |  C. McCowattMidfielder | Midfielder | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 23 |  R. ThomasMidfielder | Midfielder |  PEC Zwolle |  Eredivisie | 29 | 1 | 1 | 2157 | 7.14 |
| 25 |  L. BaylissMidfielder | Midfielder |  Newcastle Jets | A-League | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 |  L. RogersonAttacker | Attacker | Auckland | A-League | — | — | — | — | — |
| 9 |  C. WoodAttacker | Attacker |  Nottingham Forest |  Premier League | 15 | 3 | 0 | 924 | 6.64 |
| 17 |  K. BarbarousesAttacker | Attacker |  Western Sydney Wanderers | A-League | — | — | — | — | — |
| 18 |  B. WaineAttacker | Attacker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 19 |  B. OldAttacker | Attacker |  Saint Etienne |  Ligue 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 96 | 7.70 |
| 21 |  J. RandallAttacker | Attacker | Auckland | A-League | — | — | — | — | — |
