New Zealand

New Zealand enter World Cup 2026 in Group G, where the early tests are Belgium, Egypt, and Iran. New Zealand have never won the World Cup and have appeared at the finals in 1982 and 2010. Their unbeaten 2010 group-stage campaign remains a point of national pride, even without progression. The current squad is shaped around Chris Wood and Liberato Cacace, a core that gives the team recognizable quality in the moments that usually decide group-stage matches: set pieces, transition attacks, and pressure around the box.

For this tournament, the assignment is both tactical and psychological: start quickly, protect the middle of the pitch, and make the group feel uncomfortable before the knockout picture forms. The All Whites will need organization, set-piece threat, and Wood's penalty-box instincts. Group G is demanding, but disciplined low-margin football can keep them relevant longer than expected. If New Zealand can turn its best individual stretches into a full 90-minute platform, the campaign has room to grow beyond a simple participation story.