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New Zealand Qualify for 2026 World Cup with 3-0 Win Over New Caledonia

New Zealand's team celebrate after their victory during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Oceania qualifiers group final football match between New Zealand and New Caledonia at Eden Park Stadium in Auckland on March 24, 2025. (Photo by DAVID ROWLAND / AFP)
New Zealand's team celebrate after their victory during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Oceania qualifiers group final football match between New Zealand and New Caledonia at Eden Park Stadium in Auckland on March 24, 2025. (Photo by DAVID ROWLAND / AFP)
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New Zealand Qualify for 2026 World Cup with 3-0 Win Over New Caledonia

New Zealand's team celebrate after their victory during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Oceania qualifiers group final football match between New Zealand and New Caledonia at Eden Park Stadium in Auckland on March 24, 2025. (Photo by DAVID ROWLAND / AFP)
New Zealand's team celebrate after their victory during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Oceania qualifiers group final football match between New Zealand and New Caledonia at Eden Park Stadium in Auckland on March 24, 2025. (Photo by DAVID ROWLAND / AFP)

New Zealand qualified for the 2026 World Cup on Monday as veterans Michael Boxall and Kosta Barbarouses scored in a second-half burst to beat New Caledonia 3-0 in Auckland.
Centre back Boxall scored his first goal for New Zealand in his 55th international with a header on the one hour mark at Eden Park before Barbarouses volleyed over the goalkeeper five minutes later.
Substitute Elijah Just capped the win with a third goal in the 80th minute as the All Whites celebrated the nation's third World Cup appearance after 1982 and 2010.
While New Zealand won the regional qualifying round for the last three tournaments, they missed out on the finals after losing in the intercontinental playoffs.
For 2026, whichever team topped the table in Oceania had an automatic berth in the finals for the first time.
New Zealand become the second team to qualify, with Japan - competing in the Asian region - booking their ticket with a 2-0 home win over Bahrain last week.
Injury soured New Zealand's victory slightly with captain Chris Wood limping off early in the second half.
Ranked 152nd in the world and dominated by amateur footballers, the Pacific territory of New Caledonia battled hard to keep the All Whites from scoring for more than 60 minutes before Boxall's header proved the breakthrough.
New Caledonia will have another chance to qualify for 2026, which is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, in the intercontinental playoffs.

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Verstappen Proves a Point at Suzuka but Challenges Remain 

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands gets a pit service during the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix race at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, central Japan, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands gets a pit service during the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix race at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, central Japan, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP)
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Verstappen Proves a Point at Suzuka but Challenges Remain 

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands gets a pit service during the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix race at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, central Japan, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP)
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands gets a pit service during the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix race at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, central Japan, Sunday, April 6, 2025. (AP)

World champion Max Verstappen exploded the idea that McLaren might absolutely dominate the Formula One season with victory at the Japanese Grand Prix at the weekend, but the Dutchman was by no means certain he would be able to repeat the feat elsewhere.

Verstappen steered his Red Bull to a pole-to-flag victory for an unprecedented fourth year in a row at Suzuka on Sunday, continuing his love affair with the home circuit of his team's engine providers Honda.

The four-times world champion was delighted with his weekend in Japan, highlighted by the brilliant qualifying lap that snatched pole position away from McLaren's Lando Norris, but cautious about what it meant for the remaining 21 races.

"I think we know our limitations," he said. "So we just have to try and run against that limitation as much as we can. But yeah, it's still not fixed.

"So this is hopefully going to be fixed soon, but I cannot give you a timeline on that. It's just about trying to find that limit, which is really sensitive for us at the moment."

Team principal Christian Horner was clear about what the Suzuka win, coming after dominant wins for McLaren in Australia and China, meant for Red Bull.

"Max, without any debate, is the best driver in the world currently," he said.

"I think for the drivers' championship, Max is, what, one point behind now? So for us, all priority is on that.

"The constructors is going to be harder, but it's a long year, and you never give up, and I think there's no better tonic or motivator than winning."

After three races, Red Bull are a hefty 50 points behind McLaren in the constructors' championship and Verstappen does indeed trail Norris by a single point in the drivers' standings heading to next week's race in Bahrain.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was equally clear that he wants both titles and, convinced that the best cars in Formula One are in his garage, was satisfied with second for Norris and third for Oscar Piastri.

A cool track and very little tire degradation meant qualifying position was crucial at Suzuka with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, who was seventh, the only driver in the top 10 finishers managing to overtake during the race.

The Bahrain heat is likely to offer very different conditions but Piastri warned he and Norris would need to be wary of Mercedes and Ferrari as well as Red Bull in the Gulf kingdom, the home of McLaren's owners.

"I think we have a small advantage, but I think this weekend has really shown that any small mistake and there's a lot of competition there to capitalize," the Australian said.