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World Cup Draw: What's the dream scenario for the All Whites?
Riccardo Ball •  December 3rd, 2025 8:26 am
All Whites celebrate qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup | Photo: Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw takes place Saturday with a breakfast start for New Zealand - from 6am NZDT, football fans around the world will be glued to televisions and radios to find out who their country will be up against at next year's showpiece event in Canada, USA and Mexico.
Kiwis are no different. I will be at Full Time Sports Bar & Eatery in Kingsland for the draw alongside former All Whites and Socceroos - plus the great and the good of New Zealand football - and I can’t wait to see who we get!
Next year's World Cup will be just our third time on the biggest stage of them all.Â
The first time New Zealand made a World Cup was under the captaincy of the great Steve Sumner, with John Adshead as the master tactician, and raft of players like Steve Woodin, Wynton Rufer, Frank Van Hattum and Ricki Herebert, who would all go on to become household names.Â
That draw wasn’t kind to 1982 All Whites.
Brazil, the world powerhouse, were pre-tournament favourites and are widely regarded as ‘the best team to not win the World Cup’. Then there was the Eastern block powerhouse of the USSR and a Scotland team laden with stars like Graeme Souness, Kenny Dalgliesh, Alan Hansen, Steve Archibald and Gordon Strachan.Â
5-2, 3-0 & 4-0 losses to Scotland, USSR and Brazil ended New Zealand's tournament there.
Fast forward to New Zealand's next appearance at a World Cup - our team made history as the only side at the tournament to remain undefeated!
A late Winston Reid equaliser earned a point against the Slovaks, Shane Smeltz had the temerity to give New Zealand the lead against reigning world champions Italy before a questionable penalty leveled the scores, and a stalemate with a talent-laden Paraguay in the final group game meant that Ricki Herbert’s side were eliminated at the group stage despite not losing a game (nor winning one to be fair).
All Whites coach Darren Bazeley | Photo: AAP
So...who do we, New Zealand fans, want this time around?
The best draw the All Whites can hope for based on rankings would see NZ play hosts Canada from Pot 1, the Aussies from Pot 2, and the South Africans from Pot 3 - it does feel like a Rugby World Cup group more than a football one - but I’d say coach Darren Bazeley would take it in a heartbeat.
What is the nightmare scenario?
Using rankings it’d be top-ranked Spain, world No. 10 Croatia captained by the legendary Luka Modric out of Pot 2, and then Panama from Pot 3. Only two European countries can be in any one group saving us from the possibility of Norway and Erling Haaland from Pot 3.
What about the wishlist draw? There is Messi's Argentina from Pot 1, Harry Kane's England, or perennial World Cup qualifiers Brazil?
Pot 2 offers up a few options: Colombia, we owe them one after a narrow defeat in the last international window. Uruguay, the first ever World Cup champions, or our neighbours Australia. How good would it be to bloody their noses on the world stage?
Personally, I’d love to draw Scotland from Pot 3, a rematch from 1982 and a team with a great story in qualifying. Mo Salah's Egypt is another option or reigning African champions Cote D’Ivoire, who the All Whites defeated back in June.
Pots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany.Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Austria, Australia.
Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa.Pot 4: Jordan, Cabo Verde , Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, four European play-off teams, two intercontinental play-off teams.Subscribe to Sport Nation's weekly football podcast Studs Up! on Spotify - Riccardo Ball will be podcasting reactions and interviews from the FIFA World Cup Draw this Saturday.
