# New Zealand at the FIFA World Cup

This article summarises the results and overall performances of New Zealand at the FIFA World Cup.
New Zealand's opening matches were during the 1970 AFC/OFC qualifiers losing away to Israel 4-0 and 2–0, and eliminated. For the 1974 AFC/OFC qualification they drew three matches and finished bottom of the group behind Australia, Iraq and Indonesia. With an opening 6–0 win against Taiwan, they finished behind Australia in the 1978 AFC/OFC qualification matches. In the 1982 AFC/OFC qualification they topped the first round group, ahead of Australia, then finished behind Kuiwait in the final round, before defeating China 2–1 to qualify for the 1982 World Cup final tournament. In the group stage New Zealand lost their opening match 5–2 to Scotland, then lost to the Soviet Union 3-0 and Brazil 4–0, exiting the tournament.
For both the 1986 and 1990 OFC qualifying groups they finished third - behind Australia and Israel. With an expanded OFC competition from 1994 onwards, New Zealand topped their group ahead of Fiji but in the second round they were defeated by Australia 4–0 in aggregate. In the 1998 qualification edition they finished ahead of Fiji, and then lost 5–0 in aggregate to Australia. With four out of four wins in the group stage for the 2002 OFC qualifiers, Australia defeated New Zealand 6–1 in aggregate in the second round. With losses to Australia and Vanuatu, New Zealand did not advance from the first round in the 2006 qualification edition.
New Zealand won their second round group in the 2010 OFC qualifiers and then went on to defeat Bahrain 1–0 in aggregate to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals. In the group stage, New Zealand opened against Slovakia with 1-1, then world cup holders Italy 1-1 followed by 0–0 with Paraguay. Finishing third in the group, they failed to advance. In the 2014 qualifiers, they topped their third round group, despite an earlier loss to New Caledonia, and then lost in the playoff 9–3 in aggregate to Mexico. They topped their group in the 2018 qualifiers, then defeated the Solomon Islands, before losing to Peru in the final play-off spot. In the 2022 qualifiers, five wins and a final 5–0 win against the Solomon Islands, followed by a 1–0 loss to Costa Rica resulted in non-qualification.

## FIFA World Cup record

FIFA World Cup record :
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1930 | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA |
| 1934 | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA |
| 1938 | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA | Not member of FIFA |
| 1950 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1954 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1958 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1962 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1966 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1970 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1974 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1978 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1982 | Group stage | 23rd | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 |
| 1986 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1990 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1994 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1998 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2002 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2006 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2010 | Group stage | 22nd | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2014 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2018 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2022 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2026 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| 2030 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| 2034 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| Total | Group stage | 2/26 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 14 |

### By match

| Year | Round | Opponent | Score | Result | Venue | New Zealand scorers |
| 1982 | Group stage | Scotland | 2–5 | L | Málaga | S. Sumner, S. Wooddin |
| 1982 | Group stage | Soviet Union | 0–3 | L | Málaga | — |
| 1982 | Group stage | Brazil | 0–4 | L | Seville | — |
| 2010 | Group stage | Slovakia | 1–1 | D | Rustenburg | W. Reid |
| 2010 | Group stage | Italy | 1–1 | D | Nelspruit | Smeltz |
| 2010 | Group stage | Paraguay | 0–0 | D | Polokwane | — |

## Head-to-head record

| Opponent | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
| Brazil | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 000.00 |
| Italy | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 000.00 |
| Paraguay | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 000.00 |
| Scotland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 000.00 |
| Slovakia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 000.00 |
| Soviet Union | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 000.00 |
| Total | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 14 | −10 | 000.00 |

## 1982 FIFA World Cup
### Group 6

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Brazil | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 6 | Advance to second round |
| 2 | Soviet Union | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 3 | Advance to second round |
| 3 | Scotland | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 | New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 | −10 | 0 | |
| Scotland | New Zealand |
| GK | 1 | Alan Rough |
| DF | 2 | Danny McGrain (c) |
| DF | 5 | Alan Hansen |
| DF | 17 | Allan Evans |
| DF | 3 | Frank Gray |
| MF | 7 | Gordon Strachan | 83' |
| MF | 4 | Graeme Souness |
| MF | 10 | John Wark |
| FW | 9 | Alan Brazil | 53' |
| FW | 8 | Kenny Dalglish |
| FW | 11 | John Robertson |
| Substitutes: ||
| DF | 6 | Willie Miller |
| GK | 12 | George Wood |
| DF | 14 | David Narey | 83' |
| FW | 15 | Joe Jordan |
| FW | 18 | Steve Archibald | 53' |
| Manager: ||
| Jock Stein ||
| GK | 22 | Frank van Hattum |
| DF | 15 | John Hill |
| DF | 6 | Bobby Almond | 66' |
| DF | 14 | Adrian Elrick |
| DF | 11 | Sam Malcolmson | 77' |
| MF | 12 | Keith Mackay |
| MF | 17 | Allan Boath |
| MF | 13 | Kenny Cresswell |
| MF | 10 | Steve Sumner (c) |
| FW | 7 | Wynton Rufer |
| FW | 9 | Steve Wooddin |
| Substitutes: ||
| GK | 1 | Richard Wilson |
| DF | 2 | Glenn Dods |
| DF | 3 | Ricki Herbert | 66' |
| MF | 4 | Brian Turner |
| MF | 8 | Duncan Cole | 77' |
| Manager: ||
| John Adshead ||
* Assistant referees:
* Thomson Chan (Hong Kong)
* Yousef Alghoul (Libya)
| Soviet Union | New Zealand |
| GK | 1 | Rinat Dasayev |
| DF | 6 | Anatoliy Demyanenko |
| DF | 3 | Aleksandre Chivadze (c) |
| DF | 5 | Sergei Baltacha |
| DF | 2 | Tengiz Sulakvelidze |
| MF | 8 | Volodymyr Bezsonov |
| MF | 13 | Vitaly Daraselia | 46' |
| MF | 12 | Andriy Bal |
| MF | 9 | Yuri Gavrilov | 79' |
| FW | 7 | Ramaz Shengelia |
| FW | 11 | Oleh Blokhin |
| Substitutes: ||
| MF | 10 | Khoren Oganesian | 46' |
| DF | 14 | Sergei Borovsky |
| FW | 15 | Sergey Andreyev |
| DF | 16 | Sergey Rodionov | 79' |
| GK | 22 | Vyacheslav Chanov |
| Manager: ||
| Konstantin Beskov ||
| GK | 22 | Frank van Hattum |
| DF | 2 | Glenn Dods |
| DF | 17 | Allan Boath |
| DF | 3 | Ricki Herbert |
| DF | 14 | Adrian Elrick |
| MF | 12 | Keith Mackay |
| MF | 10 | Steve Sumner (c) |
| MF | 8 | Duncan Cole |
| MF | 13 | Kenny Cresswell |
| FW | 7 | Wynton Rufer |
| FW | 9 | Steve Wooddin |
| Substitutes: ||
| GK | 1 | Richard Wilson |
| MF | 4 | Brian Turner |
| DF | 11 | Sam Malcolmson |
| DF | 15 | John Hill |
| MF | 19 | Billy McClure |
| Manager: ||
| John Adshead ||
* Assistant referees:
* Emilio Soriano Aladrén (Spain)
* Clive White (England)
| Brazil | New Zealand |
| GK | 1 | Waldir Peres |
| DF | 2 | Leandro |
| DF | 3 | Oscar | 75' |
| DF | 4 | Luizinho |
| DF | 6 | Júnior |
| MF | 15 | Falcão |
| MF | 8 | Sócrates (c) |
| MF | 5 | Toninho Cerezo |
| MF | 10 | Zico |
| FW | 9 | Serginho | 75' |
| FW | 11 | Éder |
| Substitutes: ||
| FW | 7 | Paulo Isidoro | 75' |
| GK | 12 | Paulo Sérgio |
| DF | 13 | Edevaldo |
| DF | 16 | Edinho | 75' |
| MF | 19 | Renato |
| Manager: ||
| Telê Santana ||
| GK | 22 | Frank van Hattum |
| DF | 2 | Glenn Dods |
| DF | 3 | Ricki Herbert |
| DF | 6 | Bobby Almond |
| DF | 14 | Adrian Elrick |
| MF | 17 | Allan Boath |
| MF | 12 | Keith Mackay |
| MF | 13 | Kenny Cresswell | 78' |
| MF | 10 | Steve Sumner (c) |
| FW | 9 | Steve Wooddin |
| FW | 7 | Wynton Rufer | 78' |
| Substitutes: ||
| GK | 1 | Richard Wilson |
| MF | 4 | Brian Turner | 78' |
| MF | 8 | Duncan Cole | 78' |
| DF | 15 | John Hill |
| DF | 16 | Glen Adam |
| Manager: ||
| John Adshead ||
* Assistant referees:
* Abraham Klein (Israel)
* Charles Corver (Netherlands)

## 2010 FIFA World Cup
### Group F

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Paraguay | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 5 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Slovakia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 | Italy | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 2 | |
| New Zealand | Slovakia |
| GK | 1 | Mark Paston |
| RB | 4 | Winston Reid | 90+3' |
| CB | 6 | Ryan Nelsen (c) |
| CB | 5 | Ivan Vicelich | | 78' |
| LB | 19 | Tommy Smith |
| RM | 11 | Leo Bertos |
| CM | 7 | Simon Elliott |
| LM | 3 | Tony Lochhead | 42' |
| RW | 14 | Rory Fallon |
| LW | 10 | Chris Killen | | 72' |
| CF | 9 | Shane Smeltz |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 20 | Chris Wood | | 72' |
| MF | 21 | Jeremy Christie | | 78' |
| Manager: ||
| Ricki Herbert ||
| GK | 1 | Ján Mucha |
| RB | 5 | Radoslav Zabavník |
| CB | 16 | Ján Ďurica |
| CB | 3 | Martin Škrtel |
| LB | 4 | Marek Čech |
| DM | 6 | Zdeno Štrba | 55' |
| RM | 7 | Vladimír Weiss | | 90+1' |
| CM | 9 | Stanislav Šesták | | 81' |
| LM | 17 | Marek Hamšík (c) |
| CF | 11 | Róbert Vittek | | 84' |
| CF | 18 | Erik Jendrišek |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 13 | Filip Hološko | | 81' |
| MF | 15 | Miroslav Stoch | | 84' |
| MF | 19 | Juraj Kucka | | 90+1' |
| Manager: ||
| Vladimír Weiss ||
* Man of the Match:
* Róbert Vittek (Slovakia)
* Assistant referees:
* Celestin Ntagungira (Rwanda)
* Enock Molefe (South Africa)
* Fourth official:
* Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)
* Fifth official:
* Rafael Ilyasov (Uzbekistan)
| Italy | New Zealand |
| GK | 12 | Federico Marchetti |
| RB | 19 | Gianluca Zambrotta |
| CB | 5 | Fabio Cannavaro (c) |
| CB | 4 | Giorgio Chiellini |
| LB | 3 | Domenico Criscito |
| RM | 7 | Simone Pepe | 46' |
| CM | 6 | Daniele De Rossi |
| CM | 22 | Riccardo Montolivo |
| LM | 15 | Claudio Marchisio | 61' |
| SS | 9 | Vincenzo Iaquinta |
| CF | 11 | Alberto Gilardino | 46' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 16 | Mauro Camoranesi | 46' |
| FW | 10 | Antonio Di Natale | 46' |
| FW | 20 | Giampaolo Pazzini | 61' |
| Manager: ||
| Marcello Lippi ||
| GK | 1 | Mark Paston |
| RB | 4 | Winston Reid |
| CB | 6 | Ryan Nelsen (c) | 87' |
| CB | 5 | Ivan Vicelich | | 81' |
| LB | 19 | Tommy Smith | 28' |
| RM | 11 | Leo Bertos |
| CM | 7 | Simon Elliott |
| LM | 3 | Tony Lochhead |
| RW | 14 | Rory Fallon | 14' | 63' |
| LW | 10 | Chris Killen | | 90+3' |
| CF | 9 | Shane Smeltz |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 20 | Chris Wood | | 63' |
| MF | 21 | Jeremy Christie | | 81' |
| MF | 13 | Andrew Barron | | 90+3' |
| Manager: ||
| Ricki Herbert ||
* Man of the Match:
* Daniele De Rossi (Italy)
* Assistant referees:
* Leonel Leal (Costa Rica)
* Carlos Pastrana (Honduras)
* Fourth official:
* Koman Coulibaly (Mali)
* Fifth official:
* Redouane Achik (Morocco)
| Paraguay | New Zealand |
| GK | 1 | Justo Villar |
| RB | 4 | Denis Caniza (c) |
| CB | 5 | Julio Cáceres |
| CB | 14 | Paulo da Silva |
| LB | 3 | Claudio Morel |
| DM | 15 | Víctor Cáceres | 10' |
| RM | 16 | Cristian Riveros |
| LM | 13 | Enrique Vera |
| AM | 9 | Roque Santa Cruz | 41' |
| AM | 18 | Nelson Valdez | | 67' |
| CF | 7 | Óscar Cardozo | | 66' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 19 | Lucas Barrios | | 66' |
| FW | 10 | Édgar Benítez | | 67' |
| Manager: ||
| Gerardo Martino ||
| GK | 1 | Mark Paston |
| RB | 4 | Winston Reid |
| CB | 6 | Ryan Nelsen (c) | 56' |
| LB | 19 | Tommy Smith |
| CM | 7 | Simon Elliott |
| CM | 5 | Ivan Vicelich |
| RM | 11 | Leo Bertos |
| LM | 3 | Tony Lochhead |
| AM | 10 | Chris Killen | | 79' |
| AM | 9 | Shane Smeltz |
| CF | 14 | Rory Fallon | | 69' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 20 | Chris Wood | | 69' |
| MF | 22 | Jeremy Brockie | | 79' |
| Manager: ||
| Ricki Herbert ||
* Man of the Match:
* Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguay)
* Assistant referees:
* Toru Sagara (Japan)
* Jeong Hae-sang (South Korea)
* Fourth official:
* Koman Coulibaly (Mali)
* Fifth official:
* Inácio Manuel Cândido (Angola)

## Statistics
### Goalscorers

| Player | Goals | 1982 | 2010 |
| Winston Reid | 1 | | 1 |
| Shane Smeltz | 1 | | 1 |
| Steve Sumner | 1 | 1 | |
| Steve Wooddin | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 4 | 2 | 2 |

### Discipline

| Date | Player | Opposition | World Cup |
| 15 June 2010 | Tony Lochhead | Slovakia | 2010 |
| 15 June 2010 | Winston Reid | Slovakia | 2010 |
| 20 June 2010 | Rory Fallon | Italy | 2010 |
| 20 June 2010 | Tommy Smith | Italy | 2010 |
| 20 June 2010 | Ryan Nelsen | Italy | 2010 |
| 24 June 2010 | Ryan Nelsen | Paraguay | 2010 |