kids encyclopedia robot

New Zealand men's national football team facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see New Zealand women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
New Zealand
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) All Whites
Association New Zealand Football (NZF)
Confederation OFC (Oceania)
Head coach Darren Bazeley
Captain Chris Wood
Most caps Ivan Vicelich (88)
Top scorer Chris Wood (44)
Home stadium Various
FIFA code NZL
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 119 Increase 3 (7 February 2019)
Highest 47 (August 2002)
Lowest 161 (April–May 2016)
Elo ranking
Current 83 Decrease 7 (3 March 2019)
Highest 39 (June 1983)
Lowest 100 (June 1997)
First international
 New Zealand 3–1 Australia 
(Dunedin, New Zealand; 17 June 1922)
Biggest win
 New Zealand 13–0 Fiji 
(Auckland, New Zealand; 16 August 1981)
Biggest defeat
 New Zealand 0–10 Australia 
(Wellington, New Zealand; 11 July 1936)
World Cup
Appearances 3 (first in 1982)
Best result Group stage (1982, 2010)
OFC Nations Cup
Appearances 11 (first in 1973)
Best result Champions (1973, 1998, 2002, 2008, 2016, 2024)
Confederations Cup
Appearances 4 (first in 1999)
Best result Group stage (1999, 2003, 2009, 2017)
Medal record
Men's football
OFC Nations Cup
Gold 1973 New Zealand Team
Gold 1998 Australia Team
Gold 2002 New Zealand Team
Gold 2008 No Host Team
Gold 2016 Papua New Guinea Team
Gold 2024 Vanuatu & Fiji Team
Silver 2000 Tahiti Team
Bronze 1996 No Host Team
Bronze 2004 Australia Team
Bronze 2012 Solomon Islands Team
AFC–OFC Challenge Cup
Silver 2003 Iran Team
Website

The New Zealand men's national football team, also known as the All Whites, represents New Zealand in international football games. The team is managed by New Zealand Football (NZF). NZF is a member of FIFA and the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). The team's nickname, the All Whites, comes from their all-white uniform.

The All Whites have played in the FIFA World Cup three times: in 1982, 2010, and they are set to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They also took part in the FIFA Confederations Cup four times. New Zealand is a very successful team in Oceania, having won the OFC Nations Cup six times. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, they were the only team that didn't lose a game. They drew all three of their group matches, but they still didn't make it past the first round.

Team History

How the All Whites Started

Newzealand australia football 1922
New Zealand playing Australia in 1922, their first official international match.

New Zealand's first international football game was on July 23, 1904. They played against a team from New South Wales in Dunedin. New Zealand lost that game 1–0. A week later, they drew 3–3 with the same team in Wellington.

The national team didn't play again until 1922. That year, they played three official games against Australia. New Zealand won two games 3–1 and drew one 1–1. In 1927, Canada became the second team to visit New Zealand for matches.

In 1966, New Zealand helped create the Oceania Football Confederation. This group helps organize football in the Oceania region.

Qualifying for the 1982 World Cup

Israel v New Zealand - Ramat Gan, 1989 - Ronny Rosenthal
New Zealand playing against Israel during the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

In the early 1980s, the All Whites had a great winning streak. They qualified for the 1982 World Cup in Spain. Their journey included a 13–0 victory against Fiji. They also beat China 2–1 in a play-off game to secure their spot.

For the 1982 World Cup, many players in the New Zealand squad were born in the United Kingdom. They lost all three of their games in the tournament. Over time, more and more New Zealand-born players joined the team.

Growing Stronger in Oceania

Westpac Stadium 14112009
New Zealand playing against Bahrain in a World Cup play-off game in 2009.

Since the 1990s, many New Zealand players have developed their skills by playing college soccer in the United States. This has helped them become better players. Many then go on to play in professional leagues like Major League Soccer.

New Zealand used to compete with Australia for the top spot in the OFC. But Australia left the OFC in 2006 to join the Asian Football Confederation. This made New Zealand the strongest team in the OFC.

The All Whites qualified for the 2010 World Cup. They were the only team in the tournament that didn't lose a single game. They drew 1–1 with defending champions Italy, and also drew with Slovakia and Paraguay. They finished above Italy in their group.

Tough Times and World Cup Near Misses

After their success, the All Whites faced some challenges. In the 2012 OFC Nations Cup, they lost to New Caledonia in the semi-final. This loss was a big upset. They also missed out on the 2014 FIFA World Cup after losing to Mexico in a play-off.

Russia-New Zeland (13)
New Zealand playing against Russia in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.

In 2014, Anthony Hudson became the new manager. The team's ranking dropped to 161st in the world because they played very few games. However, they bounced back and won the 2016 OFC Nations Cup. This made them the most successful team in the tournament's history. Winning the OFC Nations Cup also qualified them for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.

At the 2017 Confederations Cup, they finished last in their group. This caused their world ranking to drop again. In 2017, they won the OFC Final against the Solomon Islands. This meant they played against Peru for a spot in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. They drew the first game but lost the second, missing out on the World Cup.

After a long break, the All Whites played friendly matches in 2021. During the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, held in Qatar, they won all their games. Chris Wood became the team's top scorer during this time.

All Whites versus Socceroos, (New Zealand vs Australia) 2022
New Zealand playing Australia at home in 2022.

They then played against Costa Rica for a spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They lost 1–0, which was their third time missing the World Cup in a play-off. After this, the All Whites played against the Socceroos to celebrate 100 years since their first match.

Back on the International Stage

The All Whites have continued to play international matches. They have competed in various friendly games and World Cup qualifiers. Their recent results show a mix of wins, draws, and losses as they continue to develop as a team.

Team Look

Kit Colors

New Zealand's home kit is traditionally white with black details. Their away kit is usually the opposite: black with white details. They use white for their home kit because black, which is New Zealand's national color in rugby, was traditionally reserved for referees by FIFA.
New Zealand's first national kit, 1922

Since late 2022, the team's badge on their uniform often features just a fern leaf. This fern leaf is white with a black outline, no matter if the uniform is white or black.

Kit Suppliers

Many different companies have made the All Whites' kits over the years.

Kit supplier Period
Adidas 1972–1983
Le Coq Sportif 1984–1986
Mitre 1987–1988
Pony 1989–1992
Ribero 1993–1994
Mitre 1995–1996
Adidas 1997–2003
Nike 2004–2023
Puma 2024–present

Team Nickname

The team got its nickname, "All Whites," during the qualifiers for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. In 1981, they wore an all-white uniform for the first time against Taiwan. A commentator called them the "All Whites," playing on the famous "All Blacks" name for the national rugby team. The name became very popular.

Rivalries

The All Whites have a long-standing rivalry with their neighbors, Australia. This rivalry is known as the Australia–New Zealand soccer rivalry. Their first game against each other was in 1922. This friendly rivalry extends beyond sports to many parts of Australian and New Zealand culture.

The rivalry was strongest when both teams were part of the OFC. They often played against each other in finals and World Cup qualifiers. Since Australia joined the AFC in 2006, they play less often. However, their matches still get a lot of attention. Even New Zealand's professional club teams, like Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC, play in Australia's A-League.

Supporters

The main group of supporters for the New Zealand national team is called 'White Noise'. This group started in November 2007. They are a rebranding of the 'Yellow Fever' supporters group, who support the Wellington Phoenix club team.

Home Stadiums

New Zealand does not have one main national stadium. Instead, the All Whites play their games at different stadiums across the country. Major international matches are often held at places like Sky Stadium in Wellington and North Harbour Stadium or Eden Park in Auckland.

Recent Games and Schedule

See also: New Zealand men's national football team results (2020–present)

Here are the results from the last year and upcoming matches.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

7 September Friendly Mexico  3–0  New Zealand Pasadena, United States
18:00
  • Pineda Goal 5'
  • Huerta Goal 53'
  • Romo Goal 57'
 Stadium: Rose Bowl
Attendance: 25,271
Referee: Joe Dickerson (United States)
10 September Friendly United States  1–1  New Zealand Cincinnati, United States
19:00 EDT (UTC-4:00)
  • Waine Goal 89'
 Stadium: TQL Stadium
Attendance: 15,711
Referee: Selvin Brown (Honduras)
11 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification New Zealand  3–0  Tahiti Port Vila, Vanuatu
13:00 UTC+11
  • Just Goal 2'
  • Wood Goal 67'
  • Waine Goal 89'
 Stadium: VFF Freshwater Stadium
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Médéric Lacour (New Caledonia)
14 October Friendly New Zealand  4–0  Malaysia Auckland, New Zealand
19:00 UTC+13
  • Just Goal 53'
  • Garbett Goal 61'
  • Wood Goal 72'
  • Rogerson Goal 90'
 Stadium: North Harbour Stadium
Attendance: 8,513
Referee: Jack Morgan (Australia)
15 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification New Zealand  8–1  Vanuatu Hamilton, New Zealand
18:30 UTC+12
  • Garbett Goal 11'
  • Wood Goal 23', 24'
  • Bindon Goal 31', 38'
  • Just Goal 74'
  • Singh Goal 82'
  • McCowatt Goal 89'
  • Tasip Goal 17'
 Stadium: Waikato Stadium
Attendance: 10,113
Referee: Ben Aukwai (Solomon Islands)
18 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Samoa  0–8  New Zealand Auckland, New Zealand
  • McCowatt Goal 24'
  • Wood Goal 28', 34', 60'
  • Stamenić Goal 62'
  • de Vries Goal 75'
  • Just Goal 87'
  • Waine Goal 90+2' (pen.)
 Stadium: Mount Smart Stadium
Attendance: 5,307
Referee: Veer Singh (Fiji)

2025 Matches

21 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification New Zealand  7–0  Fiji Wellington, New Zealand
19:00 UTC+13
  • Wood Goal 6', 56', 60'
  • Singh Goal 16'
  • Bindon Goal 23'
  • Payne Goal 32'
  • Barbarouses Goal 73'
 Stadium: Sky Stadium
Attendance: 20,947
Referee: Norbert Hauata (Tahiti)
24 March 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification New Caledonia  0–3  New Zealand Auckland, New Zealand
19:00 UTC+13
Stadium: Eden Park
Attendance: 25,132
Referee: Ben Aukwai (Solomon Islands)
7 June Canadian Shield Ivory Coast  0–1  New Zealand Toronto, Canada
19:00 UTC-4
  • Just Goal 41'
 Stadium: BMO Field
Attendance: 26,345
Referee: Pierre-Luc Lauziere (Canada)
10 June Canadian Shield New Zealand  1–2  Ukraine Toronto, Canada
17:00 UTC-4
  • Stamenic Goal 59'
  • Hutsulyak Goal 54'
  • Zinchenko Goal 75'
 Stadium: BMO Field
Attendance: 18,489
Referee: Carly Shaw-Maclaren (Canada)
5 September Soccer Ashes Australia  v  New Zealand Canberra, Australia
19:45 UTC+10 Stadium: GIO Stadium
9 September Soccer Ashes New Zealand  v  Australia Auckland, New Zealand
19:00 UTC+12 Stadium: Mount Smart Stadium
14 October Friendly Norway  v  New Zealand Oslo, Norway
Stadium: Ullevaal Stadion

Coaching Staff

The people who coach and manage the All Whites team are:

Position Name
Technical director New Zealand Andrew Boyens
Head coach England Darren Bazeley
Assistant coach New Zealand Simon Elliott
New Zealand Glen Moss
England Tony Readings
Goalkeeping coach Scotland Jonathan Gould
Performance manager New Zealand Ryan Nelsen
Team manager New Zealand Simon Hilton
Sports scientist South Africa Sunz Singh
Doctor Scotland Chan Dassanayake
Physiotherapist New Zealand Roland Jeffery
New Zealand Adam Crump

Players

Current Squad

These players were chosen for the 2025 Canadian Shield games in June 2025. Caps (games played) and goals are updated as of June 10, 2025, after the match against Ukraine.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Max Crocombe (1993-08-12) 12 August 1993 (age 31) 17 0 England Millwall
12 1GK Alex Paulsen (2002-07-04) 4 July 2002 (age 23) 3 0 England Bournemouth
22 1GK Nik Tzanev (1996-12-23) 23 December 1996 (age 28) 2 0 Wales Newport County
2 2DF Callan Elliot (1999-07-07) 7 July 1999 (age 26) 5 0 New Zealand Auckland FC
3 2DF Nando Pijnaker (1999-02-25) 25 February 1999 (age 26) 23 0 New Zealand Auckland FC
4 2DF Tyler Bindon (2005-01-27) 27 January 2005 (age 20) 17 3 England Sheffield United
5 2DF Michael Boxall (1988-08-18) 18 August 1988 (age 36) 57 1 United States Minnesota United
13 2DF Liberato Cacace (2000-09-27) 27 September 2000 (age 24) 35 1 Wales Wrexham
14 2DF Finn Surman (2003-09-23) 23 September 2003 (age 21) 9 1 United States Portland Timbers
15 2DF Tommy Smith (1990-03-31) 31 March 1990 (age 35) 56 2 New Zealand Auckland FC
21 2DF Francis de Vries (1994-11-28) 28 November 1994 (age 30) 11 1 New Zealand Auckland FC
23 2DF Bill Tuiloma (1995-03-27) 27 March 1995 (age 30) 42 4 United States Charlotte FC
6 3MF Joe Bell (1999-04-27) 27 April 1999 (age 26) 25 1 Norway Viking
7 3MF Matthew Garbett (2002-04-13) 13 April 2002 (age 23) 32 5 Netherlands NAC Breda
8 3MF Marko Stamenić (2002-02-19) 19 February 2002 (age 23) 31 3 England Nottingham Forest
10 3MF Sarpreet Singh (1999-02-20) 20 February 1999 (age 26) 20 3 Serbia TSC
11 3MF Elijah Just (2000-05-01) 1 May 2000 (age 25) 36 8 Scotland Motherwell
16 3MF Alex Rufer (1996-06-12) 12 June 1996 (age 29) 21 0 New Zealand Wellington Phoenix
19 3MF Ben Old (2002-08-13) 13 August 2002 (age 22) 14 1 France Saint-Étienne
20 3MF Callum McCowatt (1999-04-30) 30 April 1999 (age 26) 24 4 Denmark Silkeborg
9 4FW Chris Wood (captain) (1991-12-07) 7 December 1991 (age 33) 84 44 England Nottingham Forest
17 4FW Kosta Barbarouses (1990-02-19) 19 February 1990 (age 35) 69 9 Australia Western Sydney Wanderers
18 4FW Ben Waine (2001-06-11) 11 June 2001 (age 24) 24 8 England Port Vale

Recent Call-ups

These players have been called up in the last year and can still be chosen for the team.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Oliver Sail (1996-01-13) 13 January 1996 (age 29) 9 0 Australia Perth Glory v.  New Caledonia, 24 March 2025
DF Tim Payne (1994-01-10) 10 January 1994 (age 31) 43 3 New Zealand Wellington Phoenix v.  New Caledonia, 24 March 2025
DF Storm Roux (1993-01-13) 13 January 1993 (age 32) 16 0 Australia Central Coast Mariners v.  New Caledonia, 24 March 2025
DF Sam Sutton (2001-12-10) 10 December 2001 (age 23) 5 0 New Zealand Wellington Phoenix v.  Malaysia, 14 October 2024
DF Dalton Wilkins (1999-04-15) 15 April 1999 (age 26) 2 0 Denmark Sønderjyske v.  Mexico, 7 September 2024INJ
MF Cameron Howieson (1994-12-22) 22 December 1994 (age 30) 21 1 New Zealand Auckland FC v.  Malaysia, 14 October 2024
FW Logan Rogerson (1998-05-28) 28 May 1998 (age 27) 15 2 New Zealand Auckland FC v.  New Caledonia, 24 March 2025
FW Jesse Randall (2002-08-19) 19 August 2002 (age 22) 4 1 New Zealand Auckland FC v.  New Caledonia, 24 March 2025
FW Liam Gillion (2002-10-17) 17 October 2002 (age 22) 2 0 New Zealand Auckland FC v.  Samoa, 18 November 2024

INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad / standby
RET Retired from the national team
SUS Serving suspension
WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Player Records

These are some of the top records for players on the New Zealand national team.

Players in bold are still playing for New Zealand.

Most Games Played (Caps)

Ivan Vicelich MNZM (cropped)
Ivan Vicelich has played the most games for New Zealand with 88 caps.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Ivan Vicelich 88 6 1995–2013
2 Chris Wood 84 44 2009–present
3 Simon Elliott 69 6 1995–2011
Kosta Barbarouses 69 9 2008–present
5 Vaughan Coveny 64 29 1992–2006
6 Ricki Herbert 61 7 1980–1989
7 Chris Jackson 60 10 1992–2003
8 Brian Turner 59 21 1967–1982
9 Duncan Cole 58 4 1978–1988
Steve Sumner 58 22 1976–1988

Top Goal Scorers

2017 Confederation Cup - MEXNZL - Chris Wood
Chris Wood is New Zealand's top scorer with 44 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Chris Wood 44 84 0.52 2009–present
2 Vaughan Coveny 29 64 0.45 1992–2006
3 Shane Smeltz 24 57 0.42 2003–2017
4 Steve Sumner 22 58 0.38 1976–1988
5 Brian Turner 21 59 0.36 1967–1982
6 Jock Newall 17 10 1.7 1951–1952
7 Keith Nelson 16 20 0.8 1977–1983
Chris Killen 16 48 0.33 2000–2013
9 Grant Turner 15 42 0.36 1980–1988
10 Wynton Rufer 12 23 0.52 1980–1997
Darren McClennan 12 43 0.28 1986–1997
Michael McGarry 12 54 0.22 1986–1997

Most Clean Sheets (Goalkeepers)

Rank Name Clean sheets Caps Ratio Career
1 Jason Batty 16 55 0.29 1994–2003
2 Stefan Marinovic 14 30 0.47 2015–present
3 Mark Paston 13 36 0.36 1997–2013
4 Richard Wilson 10 26 0.38 1979–1984
5 Glen Moss 8 29 0.28 2006–2017
6 Max Crocombe 7 17 0.46 2018–present

Milestone Goals

These are the goals that marked special milestones for the team.

Rank Date Scorer Opponent Score
1st 17 June 1922 Ted Cook  Australia 3–1
100th 7 September 1958 unknown  New Caledonia 5–1
200th 20 March 1977 Keith Nelson  Taiwan 6–0
300th 14 December 1981 Wynton Rufer  Kuwait 2–2
400th 11 December 1988 Danny Halligan  Chinese Taipei 4–0
500th 11 June 2001 Chris Jackson  Solomon Islands 5–1
600th 4 June 2010 Rory Fallon  Slovenia 1–3
700th 30 March 2022 Chris Wood  Solomon Islands 5–0

Tournament Records

Overall Record

This table shows New Zealand's total record against all other nations.

Pld W D L GF GA GD
426 179 76 171 758 627 +131

FIFA World Cup History

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Host Round Pos Pld W D L GF GA Squad Outcome Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1938 Not member of FIFA Not member of FIFA
1950 to 1966 Did not enter Did not enter
1970  Mexico Did not qualify 2nd round 2 0 0 2 0 6
1974  West Germany 1st round 6 0 3 3 5 12
1978  Argentina 1st round 4 2 1 1 14 4
1982  Spain Group stage 23rd 3 0 0 3 2 12 Squad Qualified 15 9 5 1 44 10
1986  Mexico Did not qualify 3rd 6 3 1 2 13 7
1990  Italy 3rd 6 3 1 2 13 8
1994  United States 2nd round 6 3 1 2 15 5
1998  France Final round 6 3 0 3 13 6
2002  South Korea
 Japan		 Final round 6 4 0 2 20 7
2006  Germany 3rd 5 3 0 2 17 5
2010  South Africa Group stage 22nd 3 0 3 0 2 2 Squad Qualified 8 6 1 1 15 5
2014  Brazil Did not qualify Play-off 11 8 1 2 24 13
2018  Russia Play-off 13 8 4 1 24 6
2022  Qatar Play-off 6 5 0 1 18 2
2026  Canada
 Mexico
 United States		 To be determined To be determined
Total Group stage 2/22 6 0 3 3 4 14 100 57 18 25 240 96

OFC Nations Cup History

OFC Nations Cup
Year Host Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad
1973  New Zealand Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 13 4 Squad
1980  New Caledonia Group stage 5th 3 1 0 2 7 8 Squad
1996 Multiple Semi-finals 3rd 2 0 1 1 0 3 Squad
1998  Australia Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 11 1 Squad
2000  Tahiti Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 7 3 Squad
2002  New Zealand Champions 1st 5 5 0 0 23 2 Squad
2004  Australia Third place 3rd 5 3 0 2 17 5 Squad
2008 Multiple Champions 1st 6 5 0 1 14 5 Squad
2012  Solomon Islands Third place 3rd 5 3 1 1 8 7 Squad
2016  Papua New Guinea Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 10 1 Squad
2020  New Zealand Cancelled
Total 5 titles 10/10 44 32 4 8 110 39
     Champions       Runners-up       Third place  

FIFA Confederations Cup History

FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year Host Round Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
1992  Saudi Arabia No OFC team invited
1995  Saudi Arabia
1997  Saudi Arabia Did not qualify
1999  Mexico Group stage 3 0 0 3 1 6 Squad
2001  South Korea
 Japan		 Did not qualify
2003  France Group stage 3 0 0 3 1 11 Squad
2005  Germany Did not qualify
2009  South Africa Group stage 3 0 1 2 0 7 Squad
2013  Brazil Did not qualify
2017  Russia Group stage 3 0 0 3 1 8 Squad
Total Group stage 12 0 1 11 3 32 —

Awards and Achievements

Major Competitions

  • AFC–OFC Challenge Cup
    • Med 2.png Runners-up (1): 2003
  • OFC Nations Cup
    • Med 1.png Champions (6): 1973, 1998, 2002, 2008, 2016, 2024
    • Med 2.png Runners-up (1): 2000
    • Med 3.png Third place (2): 2004, 2012

Friendly Tournaments

  • Australia New Zealand Soccer Ashes
    • Med 1.png Champions (2): 1922, 1923
    • Med 2.png Runners-up (5): 1933, 1936, 1948, 1954, 2023
  • Australia New Zealand Trans-Tasman Cup
    • Med 1.png Champions (2): 1983, 1987
    • Med 2.png Runners-up (4): 1986, 1988, 1991, 1995
  • Malaysia Merdeka Tournament
    • Med 1.png Champions (1): 2000

Other Awards

  • FIFA Confederations Cup Fair Play Award: 1999
  • OFC Nations Cup Fair Play Award: 2024

Summary of Wins

Competition 1 2 3 Total
OFC Nations Cup 6 1 2 9
AFC–OFC Challenge Cup 0 1 0 1
Total 6 2 2 10

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Nueva Zelanda para niños

  • New Zealand women's national football team
  • Association football in New Zealand
  • Trans-Tasman Cup
kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
New Zealand men's national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.