New Zealand, fifth country to qualify for 2026 World Cup

New Zealand will play in the 2026 World Cup. They beat New Caledonia 3-0 on Monday. This victory was in the Oceania confederation qualifying final.

The New Zealand "All Whites" have qualified for the World Cup three times. They previously qualified in Spain in 1982 and South Africa in 2010. Now, they join hosts Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Japan also qualified last week as the first team for the tournament.

New Caledonia still has a chance to qualify. They can enter a six-team inter-continental playoff. This playoff includes teams from Asia, Africa, North and Central America, and South America.

New Zealand faced a setback during the match. Their captain, Chris Wood, had to leave due to a hip injury. He left the field in the 53rd minute while the score was still 0-0.