World Cup History
Best Result:
1982, First Round
New Zealand's only previous World Cup appearance at Spain 1982 came after a laborious qualification that saw the All Whites defeat Australia and win the Oceanic Qualifying Group. Their ordeal was far from over, as they then played a round robin tournament against four Asian nations, where New Zealand finished tied with China in the last qualification position. With nothing separating the teams, qualification came down to a sudden-death playoff with China in Singapore that the All Whites won 2-1.
Like Australia before them in 1974, New Zealand did not win any games in their first World Cup. All Whites did go one better than their Australian neighbours, though, as they managed to score two goals in an opening 5-2 loss to Scotland that was followed by 3-0 and 4-0 losses to the USSR and Brazil respectively. Steve Sumner may have been the first New Zealander to score at this level, but it would be another 27 years before the All Whites earned their first point in a major FIFA competition, via a 0-0 draw with Iraq at the 2009 Confederations Cup.
Road to World Cup
Finished first in OFC second round
Qualified in Inter-continental play-off with Bahrain
Under coach Ricki Herbert, a member of the 1982 squad as a 21-year-old, the All Whites dominated Oceania qualifying in the absence of Australia, now a member of the Asian Football Confederation. Against New Caledonia, Fiji and Vanuatu, New Zealand won five of the six matches in the OFC Nations Cup, their only loss being a 2-0 defeat by Fiji in the final match when top spot was secure. Striker Shane Smeltz, then at the Wellington Phoenix where he was also coached by Herbert, scored eight of the 14 goals scored.
Although they gained valuable big-time match practice at the Confederations Cup in South Africa during 2009, the All Whites waited almost 11 months between their last Oceania match and playing Bahrain, the best of the Asian teams not to qualify, in an Inter-continental play-off. In a tense affair in Manama, the first leg ended in a 0-0 draw as the All Whites opted for a defensive approach and Bahraini striker Salman Isa saw his glorious chance cannon off the post. The second leg at Wellington's Westpac Stadium, proved a defining night for football in New Zealand as more than 35,000 people saw Rory Fallon score just before half-time. Goalkeeper Mark Paston then saved a poor spot kick by Sayed Mohamed Adnan just after the break to send the All Whites through.
Star Men
Ryan Nelsen - The New Zealand and Blackburn skipper is one of the stingiest defenders in the English Premier League and has more than proved his worth for the national side, his efforts helping the All Whites concede just four goals in qualifying.
Shane Smeltz
- Now at Gold Coast United, Smeltz has been the most dangerous striker in the Australian A-League over the last three seasons. He scored eight of New Zealand's 14 goals in Oceania qualifying and has excellent control with the ball at his feet. He may be one of the best predators in the business in the A-League, but Smeltz has struggled to take that form into higher international competition, although he did score against Italy in a June 2009 friendly.
Stranger than Fiction
New Zealand captain Ryan Nelsen holds a political science degree from Stanford University, where he used to play in the US college competition.
