New Zealand’s All Whites are about to start their 15th campaign to qualify for the FIFA Men’s World Cup finals.
They have qualified for the finals tournament only twice before; in 1982, when they went to Spain and in 2010, when Ricki Herbert’s squad famously went through the South African tournament unbeaten.
Main photo: The 1982 All Whites became the first New Zealand team to qualify.
New Zealand is aiming to reach the 2026 finals to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Head coach Darren Bazeley can draw on a pool of more than 60 players who are playing professionally in some of the world’s leading competitions.
Things were certainly different in 1970 when New Zealand made their first bid to reach a World Cup, and even the successful 1982 campaign was dogged by a lack of funds and resources.
In May 1981, when New Zealand were starting their qualifying campaign, NZ Football Association World Cup director Charlie Dempsey explained the challenges ahead in this story he wrote for the official match programme for the game against Chinese Taipei:
World Cup comments
By Charlie Dempsey
NZFA World Cup director
1970 Mexico (New Zealand coach Lou Brocic)
In this first tournament, we were required to play Israel which was set down for a home and away tournament.
Through lack of finance, New Zealand agreed to play Israel twice in their country in return for all expenses being met.
Because New Zealand was able to arrange a game on the way back from Israel, a small profit was made from this venture.
1974 Germany (New Zealand coach Barrie Truman)
New Zealand’s second entry into the World Cup for this 1974 competition was as a participant in a round robin tournament played in Australia.
The costs for this venture were $20,000 to cover team preparation and other costs.
These costs were met by sponsorship and also by each association being levied to ensure that a “no loss” situation occurred.
1978 Argentina (New Zealand coach Wally Hughes)
The costs escalated for New Zealand’s entry into this tournament, and the final costs were in excess of $54,000.
The majority of this money was once again raised by sponsorship and there were no levies placed on players or associations.
Efforts of the organising committee ensured that a small profit was made on this venture.
1982 Spain (New Zealand coach John Adshead)
In this present venture, inflation and the increase in the number of participating teams in the preliminary tournament has meant that New Zealand has had to find in excess of $150,000 to cover all the costs of entry so it can be seen in the four years since the 1978 competition costs have escalated 300%.
Some of the costs that are now covered are players’ loss of wages over a seven-week period, costs of FIFA-appointed referees and officials to come from Europe, the training camps and preliminary build-up matches provided for the New Zealand team and the travel costs associated with playing away in Fiji, Taiwan, Indonesia and Australia.
Some may question our entry into this competition but it is essential that we provide our players with the opportunity of attempting to qualify and also allow for the advancement of our code in New Zealand.
Without such goals, New Zealand soccer would only stagnate.
The rewards for participating, i.e. New Zealand qualifying for the Spain finals, would mean an approximate return in excess of $1,000,000.
Most of this comes from the television fees negotiated by FIFA and these are believed to be in excess of $47,000,000.
This figure, plus the estimated gate receipts based on the cheapest tickets being $50, make it the biggest financial sporting effort in the world.
From beginning to end, it takes two years from the first game to the final. Entries are usually 120-130 countries.
It must at all times be New Zealand’s target to qualify for the World Cup.
This time it’s Spain, the next one is Columbia, South America, after that Belgrade. So you can see, planning is done well in advance.
This will possibly be my last World Cup involvement.
Essential sponsorship money in New Zealand must be topmost in everyone’s mind; without it, we cannot survive.
It is not beyond our wildest dreams for New Zealand to make Spain but I do believe this is possibly our last real chance.
The European and South American countries are getting stronger, and the gap between us and those areas is forever widening.
It must be the task of the New Zealand administration to make coaching a top priority; we must do our utmost to improve our standards and start closing the gap.
Read the match programme
New Zealand’s World Cup record
Here’s how New Zealand have fared in previous FIFA Men’s World Cup campaigns:
1970 Mexico: Did not qualify
1974 West Germany: Did not qualify
1978 Argentina: Did not qualify
1982 Spain: Qualified for finals
1986 Mexico: Did not qualify
1990 Italy: Did not qualify
1994 United States: Did not qualify
1998 France: Did not qualify
2002 South Korea / Japan: Did not qualify
2006 Germany: Did not qualify
2010 South Africa: Qualified for finals
2014 Brazil: Did not qualify
2018 Russia: Did not qualify
2022 Qatar: Did not qualify
2026 Canada / Mexico / United States: To be decided
2024 World Cup fixtures
Game to be played on Friday October 11, 2024
FIFA World Cup 2026 – OFC Qualifier
New Zealand v Tahiti
VFF Freshwater Stadium, Port Vila, Vanuatu, 3pm (NZT)
Game to be played on Friday November 15, 2024
FIFA World Cup 2026 – OFC Qualifier
New Zealand v Vanuatu
FMG Stadium Waikato, Kirikiriroa Hamilton, 7.30pm
Game to be played on Monday November 18, 2024
FIFA World Cup 2026 – OFC Qualifier
New Zealand v Samoa
Go Media Stadium, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, 7.30pm
This story was first published on October 9, 2024.
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