New Zealand's national football programme is administered by New Zealand Football (NZF), which operates under the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and is affiliated to FIFA. Football in New Zealand has grown steadily across a country where rugby union has long dominated the sporting landscape, making every significant result on the international stage a milestone for the game.
The All Whites, as the national men's side is known, achieved their most celebrated moment at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa — the only World Cup finals appearance in the team's history. Remarkably, they went through the tournament unbeaten, drawing all three group-stage matches against Slovakia, Italy, and Paraguay, and finishing above Italy in their group before being eliminated at the group stage on goal difference. That campaign remains the defining chapter in New Zealand football history.
At the regional level, New Zealand has been a consistent force within OFC, winning the OFC Nations Cup on multiple occasions. These continental titles have served as the primary qualifying pathway to FIFA tournaments, including the Confederations Cup.
Domestically, the sport is structured through six regional federations, with the New Zealand National League — founded in 2021 as the successor to the New Zealand Football Championship — serving as the top men's club competition. The Wellington Phoenix compete in the Australian A-League, representing New Zealand's highest-profile club presence in professional football.
New Zealand football carries an identity shaped by its underdog status on the global stage and a passionate grassroots base spread across a geographically diverse nation. Each qualification campaign is keenly followed, with the 2010 World Cup generation inspiring a growing interest in the sport among younger New Zealanders.