1982 Soccer World Cup

The All Whites and the 1982 World Cup finals

Association football, or soccer, is the world’s most popular sport. Although the game has been played in New Zealand for more than a century, international success has been elusive. But in 1982 soccer seized the country’s imagination, when the national side – known as the All Whites – took on the best at the World Cup finals in Spain.

To get there, the New Zealanders had to battle through an epic qualifying schedule of 15 games at venues stretching halfway across the world. After sweeping aside Indonesia, Taiwan, Fiji and arch-rival Australia, New Zealand clashed with China, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for a spot in the finals. Even then, the All Whites had to win a sudden-death play off to ensure qualification. Next stop was Spain, where the team faced the might of Scotland, the Soviet Union and Brazil.