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Tense finish to World Cup draw as All Whites land in Group G
Sport Nation •  December 6th, 2025 10:23 am
All Whites celebrate qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup | Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
All Whites fans had to wait right until the final moment of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup draw before New Zealand’s name was finally revealed on Saturday morning.
Their ball was the very last left in pot four, and when NHL legend Wayne Gretzky pulled it, the All Whites were placed into Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt and Iran.
New Zealand, currently ranked 86th in the world, will open their World Cup campaign against Iran (No. 20) in either Los Angeles or Seattle. They then face Egypt (No. 34) in Los Angeles or Vancouver, before finishing the group stage with a meeting against Belgium (No. 8) in Seattle or Vancouver.
This World Cup will be the largest ever, with 48 teams competing across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The draw created twelve groups of four, but fans will only learn the full match schedule - including venues and kick off times - when FIFA releases it at 6am on Sunday December 7 (NZ Time).
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