The Anthem
God Defend New Zealand
▶ Listen on YouTube ↗“E Ihowā Atua, O ngā iwi mātou rā…”
Sung first in Māori, then in English — a rare bilingual anthem of equal standing.
The Legends
Names that echo
Wynton Rufer
Forward · 1980s–90s
Named Oceania's Player of the Century; a Werder Bremen great.
Ryan Nelsen
Defender · 2000s–10s
Premier League centre-back and captain of the 2010 side.
Chris Wood
Forward · 2010s–20s
The All Whites' record scorer and Premier League marksman.
Fun Facts
Worth knowing
- 01
At the 2010 World Cup, New Zealand was the only team in the entire tournament to go unbeaten — three draws — yet still didn't advance.
- 02
The country is better known globally for rugby's All Blacks, which is why the footballers are the 'All Whites'.
- 03
The Māori 'God Defend New Zealand' is sung before English at every fixture.
At the World Cup
The story so far
Oceania's flag-bearer. New Zealand's proudest moment came in 2010, when it left South Africa as the only unbeaten team at the World Cup — including a draw with reigning champions Italy.
Unbeaten — and eliminated
Three draws, including against world champions Italy, made New Zealand the only undefeated team of the 2010 World Cup.
Group Stage