New Zealand celebrate winning the OFC Men's Nations Cup 2024. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Photosport
The path to the FIFA World Cup 2026 has become clearer for the All Whites as they aim to get to just their third World Cup.
For the first time, the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) has a direct slot for the FIFA World Cup, with an additional berth available via the FIFA Intercontinental Play-off Tournament.
The OFC's 11 full member nations learned their route to the 2026 World Cup with the preliminary qualification draw held at the home of FIFA in Zurich on Thursday night.
Of the region's current members, only New Zealand has previously appeared at a World Cup, in 1982 and 2010. The All Whites were slotted into Group B, alongside Tahiti, Vanuatu and the winner of the first round.
The 2026 tournament, which is being hosted by Canada, Mexico and USA, will be the most inclusive FIFA World Cup ever, with 48 teams to be included.
The tussle for a spot at the World Cup commences in with the confederation's four lowest-ranked nations - American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga - will jostle for a spot in the next stage.
The second round features two groups of four nations, with each nation facing each other once in matches played in October and November 2024. The top two in each group then progress to the decisive third round, set to played in March 2025.
The third round winner progresses directly to the World Cup, while the runners-up secure an Intercontinental Play-off Tournament berth.
The Solomon Islands were the other top seed for the draw and they headline Group A, which also features Fiji, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea.
Draw:
GROUP A: Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea
GROUP B: Aotearoa New Zealand, Tahiti, Vanuatu, Winner Round One (American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga)