New Zealand

New Zealand Football was founded in 1891, making it one of the oldest football associations outside the traditional European and South American powers. The men’s national team, known as the All Whites, have long carried the pride of Oceania football and have often had to fight through difficult qualifying routes to reach the biggest stage.

Their first FIFA World Cup appearance came in 1982, when New Zealand reached the tournament in Spain after a long and demanding qualification campaign. Their most famous modern World Cup came in 2010, when the All Whites left South Africa unbeaten after drawing all three group matches — including a memorable 1-1 draw with defending champions Italy.

The 2026 World Cup marked New Zealand’s return to the tournament for the first time since 2010. They opened Group G against IR Iran, then faced Egypt, before finishing against Belgium. It was a group full of contrast: Asian experience, African attacking quality and European star power. New Zealand were underdogs throughout, and a point from the opening match was as good as it got.

IR Iran were New Zealand’s opening opponents and it was the defining match of their tournament. Elijah Just scored twice to put the All Whites ahead, but Iran came back each time for a 2-2 draw.

Egypt brought one of Africa’s biggest football names and serious attacking threat. With Mohamed Salah leading the line, Egypt had the quality to decide a match from very little, and they won 3-1.

Belgium were the headline European test in Group G. With major names such as Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois and Jérémy Doku, Belgium carried huge individual quality and won 5-1, with Just scoring again for New Zealand.

White and black — clean, simple and instantly tied to New Zealand sporting identity. The All Whites name comes from the national team’s traditional white kit, often paired with black details to reflect the country’s wider sporting colour palette.

For mystery shirt fans, New Zealand are a strong World Cup pull because the shirt carries rarity and story. This is not one of the obvious giants — it is a country that returned to the tournament after 16 years, representing Oceania football and carrying that classic underdog energy. A New Zealand shirt feels clean, wearable and different from the usual European or South American pulls.