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In its third presentation in the World Cup, New Zealand heads to the competition being the lowest-ranked national team in it. New Zealand is heading back to the World Cup after missing out on Qatar 2022 following a heartbreaking intercontinental playoff loss to Costa Rica, and the squad arrives on the big stage as one of the ultimate underdogs. Marking only the country’s third-ever appearance at the tournament, the All Whites find themselves fighting an uphill battle when looking at their position in the global pecking order. In the final pre-tournament update of the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, New Zealand sits way down in 85th place with 1,275.58 points. Far removed from their peak rank of No. 47 back in 2002, the All Whites enter the expanded 48-team field as the lowest-ranked nation in the entire tournament, trailing just behind Haiti, who sat at No. 83 before a 1-0 opening loss to Scotland dropped them to No. 84 with 1,277.67 points. Drawn into a brutal Group G, New Zealand faces a daunting task just to survive the opening stage. The next lowest-ranked team in the cluster is Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, loitering at No. 29 with 1,562.36 points, while Iran sits at No. 20 with 1,619.58 points. Sitting comfortably at the top of the group is European powerhouse Belgium, leading the four-team pack at No. 9 in the world with 1,742.23 points. When examining their recent form since punching their ticket to North America, the All Whites have struggled to find a winning rhythm. Since grinding out a 1-0 win over Ivory Coast back in June 2025, the Oceanic nation has endured a rough 11-match stretch, suffering nine defeats alongside one draw and just a single victory, while being outscored by a dismal 20-to-8 margin. Francis de Vries #3 of New Zealand and Wilguens Paugain #24 of Haiti compete for the ball. This tournament marks New Zealand’s first World Cup appearance since South Africa 2010, with Spain 1982 serving as their only other historical cameo. To date, they have posted three draws and three losses across their six total World Cup matches, meaning the 2026 campaign will primarily center on the team’s quest to secure the first tournament win in nation history. Tim Payne: New Zealand’s viral sensation ahead of the World Cup While outside expectations for New Zealand’s on-field success remain muted, an unprecedented wave of social media hype has transformed defender Tim Payne into an overnight celebrity. Playing domestically in the A-League for Wellington Phoenix FC, the right back suddenly became the most-followed player in New Zealand history, eclipsing even standard-bearer and team captain Chris Wood. The viral explosion stems from Argentine influencer Valentin Scarsini, known online as “Elscarso“, who set out on a tongue-in-cheek quest to find the most obscure player in the World Cup field. He picked Payne, sparking a massive internet movement that pushed the defender directly into the global spotlight; the video went viral, driving millions to hit the follow button and pushing Payne past the 5-million follower mark, a bizarre twist that the defender publicly acknowledged and one that might just give the underdogs a unique motivational boost.
City seal domestic double with 3-1 victory over Nix at AAMI ParkMcNamara scores twice, McKenna adds screamer in grand finalTwo goals in three minutes from Matildas forward Holly McNamara and a stunning strike by Leticia McKenna have won Melbourne City a record-equalling fifth A-League Women championship title, defeating Wellington Phoenix 3-1 in Melbourne on Saturday afternoon.McNamara, fresh off her golden boot win for most goals scored in the regular season, sprung to life late in the first half. A sensational spin-and-strike from outside the box in the 41st minute opened the scoring before McNamara went scything through Wellington defenders to spear her second into the bottom corner two minutes later. Continue reading...
The Wellington Phoenix coach reflects on the aftermath of the Olympic spying scandal and leading her team into a first A-League Women’s finals campaignFootball is not the kind of profession that lends itself to time off for birthdays and the like. Especially when you’re preparing to lead Wellington Phoenix into their first A-League women’s finals campaign, as Bev Priestman was last week. Yet, especially when contrasted with last year, when she was still in the midst of a one-year Fifa ban after the spying scandal that engulfed Canada’s women’s football team during the Paris Olympics, being among “her people” turned out to be a gift in and of itself.“It was my 40th birthday [last week],” Priestman says. “And it’s those moments I think to a year ago, and how I felt. Continue reading...
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