New Zealand will return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 16 years after overcoming early nerves to beat New Caledonia 3-0 in their decisive qualifier.

New Zealand became the fifth team to confirm their spot at the 2026 World Cup. The Kiwis are making a return to the tournament for the first time in 16 years following a 3-0 win over New Caledonia. New Zealand had to wait until the hour mark to open the scoring through Michael Boxall.

With a little over a year left for the 23rd FIFA World Cup, which is set to be bigger than ever with the tournament expanding to 48 teams from 32, we take a look at the teams that have already made it to the Finals as well as a detailed look at the qualification process.