LOS ANGELES — New Zealand and several other nations entering the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup faced immediate challenges this week as the tournament's new format brought a broader range of teams onto football's biggest stage across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The 2026 World Cup, which opened on June 11 and runs through July 19, is the first edition to feature 48 teams rather than 32, creating additional qualification places for every confederation and allowing a number of nations to make their tournament debuts. FIFA said the expanded field increased representation from regions including Oceania, Asia, Africa and Concacaf.
New Zealand, appearing in its first World Cup since 2010, opened its Group G campaign with a 2-2 draw against Iran on Monday in Los Angeles. The All Whites twice took the lead before conceding a late equalizer, leaving all four teams in the group level on one point after Belgium and Egypt also drew their opening match.
New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley said the performance demonstrated his team's ability to compete at the highest level despite disappointment at not securing a victory.
“It's probably the best performance we've had since I've been coach,” Bazeley said after the match, according to Reuters.
The Oceania nation benefited from the tournament's expansion, which granted the Oceania Football Confederation a direct World Cup berth for the first time. New Zealand secured qualification by defeating New Caledonia in regional qualifying earlier this year, ending a 16-year absence from the finals.
Other debutants also began testing themselves against established football powers. Cape Verde opened with a draw against Spain, while Curaçao suffered defeat against Germany. Jordan and Uzbekistan, both making their first World Cup appearances, were scheduled to play their opening matches in the coming days, according to Reuters reporting.
The expanded tournament has produced a more diverse field, with first-time participants from several regions joining traditional contenders such as Argentina, Brazil, France and Germany. FIFA records show 48 teams qualified for the finals, compared with 32 in previous editions.
New Zealand's next match is against Egypt in Vancouver on June 21, followed by a meeting with Belgium on June 26. With the group stage still in its early phase, qualification for the knockout rounds remains undecided for New Zealand and several of the tournament's new entrants.
