The All Whites have learned their pathway to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the Oceania preliminary qualifying draw taking place in Zurich today.
The Kiwis have been drawn in Group B and will face Tahiti and Vanuatu in October and November with the top two teams from each group moving through to the semifinals in March of next year.
One of Samoa, American Samoa, Cook Islands and Tonga will join them in their group. Group A features the Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea.
This World Cup qualifying campaign is significant for the Oceania region as it is the first time one guaranteed qualification spot will be afforded to the winner of qualifying, instead of having to play an inter-confederation playoff tie.
The All Whites have featured at the World Cup only twice in their history, in 1982 and 2010, and in recent years have struggled to progress from the inter-confederation playoff.
Previously, the All Whites have suffered losses to Mexico, Peru and Costa Rica in their bid to qualify for the World Cup.
The inter-confederation playoff will instead be contested by the runner-up of qualifying, meaning it could be the first time two nations from Oceania feature at a World Cup.
Following their recent OFC Nations Cup triumph, the All Whites have moved inside the top 100 in FIFA's international rankings to sit 94th in the world.
The All Whites have friendlies locked in against two of the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosts in Mexico and the US and are to face off in September before the World Cup qualifying campaign.
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