New Zealand celebrate winning the OFC Men's Nations Cup 2024. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Photosport
The All Whites are champions of Oceania yet again following a 3-0 win over host nation Vanuatu in the 2024 OFC Nations Cup final. New Zealand's sixth Nations Cup title is their first since 2016, following a Covid-enforced eight-year hiatus of the region's flagship men's international championship.
While the tournament may not carry the glitz and glamour of ongoing counterpart versions in Europe and South America, the All Whites can still take some valuable lessons from their unbeaten run to regional supremacy.
A much-needed confidence boost
As always, this competition will have the usual accusations thrown at it. Critics will argue New Zealand are too dominant and they need to play higher-level opposition if they are going to improve. They will label this pointless, with some even suggesting they follow Australia into the more challenging AFC region.
Those are fair points but it can't be underestimated how important a confidence boost this could be. Four games, 15 goals scored and zero conceded is just the tonic after eight international fixtures without a win - all done in the absence of talismanic players such as Marko Stamenic and Chris Wood.
Sure, the opposition is not at a high level but wins and trophies remain just that and New Zealand needed the boost. Hopefully, they can carry some of that momentum the next time they face a much more difficult opposition.
The All Whites celebrate a goal in their 3-0 win over Vanuatu in the OFC Nations Cup final in Port Vila. Photo: OFC Media via Phototek
Book your tickets for World Cup 2026?
Football is unpredictable, we know that, but based on the evidence of this tournament New Zealand look like a safe bet to reach the World Cup in 2026. Sixteen years on from their last finals appearance the All Whites no longer need to overcome a playoff clash with an external nation from another confederation - avoiding heartbreak akin to Mexico (2014), Peru (2018) and Costa Rica (2022).
Instead, they simply need to come through a similar format to this Nations Cup competition at the end of the year against their Pacific rivals. Considering they won this event at a canter, surely Darren Bazely's men are off to North America in two years.
An advert for moving abroad
While the likes of Liberato Cacace and Ben Waine would undoubtedly love to be playing more regularly at club level their performances in Vanuatu certainly acted as a good advert for a professional football OE in top European leagues.
Cacace claimed the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player and rightly so. Marauding from left-back, the Empoli star was New Zealand's standout player while Waine, who finished last season on the periphery at Plymouth Argyle in England's Championship, also impressed.
Both look fitter, stronger and more tactically advanced than ever before. With the likes of Alex Paulsen and Stamenic heading to increasingly high-level pastures the quality of the overall All Whites package can only be trending up.
New Zealand's Ben Waine celebrates his goal. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Photosport
Two future All Whites stars secured
Two breakout stars of Wellington Phoenix's excellent 2023-24 campaign are now fully-fledged New Zealand internationals.
Alex Paulsen made his international debut in the opener v Solomon Islands while Finn Surman, who scored in the 5-0 win over Tahiti, also featured.
The importance of these two playing at this competition should not be understated. Both have other international options, Paulsen eligible for South Africa and Surman for Wales. Not many nations would even concern themselves with such trivial issues but the All Whites have been stung before (see Gianni Stensness and Tyler Boyd).
But Paulsen and Surman are now cap-tied as this was an official FIFA competition and can hopefully form a long-standing bond in New Zealand's defensive ranks.
New Zealand team photograph. OFC Men's Nations Cup 2024, Vanuatu. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Auckland FC connection
Not many Australians will have enjoyed watching New Zealand succeed in a sporting context, more than Auckland FC head coach Steve Corica probably did this week.
The inaugural Auckland boss witnessed three of his already announced roster for the club's upcoming first A-League Men campaign - Cam Howieson, Jesse Randall and Max Mata - score in the final.
All three look ready to play at the A-League level and for the likes of Howieson and Randall, who have largely been in the National League system until now, that is of massive importance.
Corica and co will be hopeful the same form continues when the A-League season begins later this year.