5 things to know about New Zealand at the Confederations Cup
New Zealand will represent the Oceania Football Confederation in this year's Confederations Cup. As champs of the OFC, the All Whites still have to go through a playoff round to secure passage to the World Cup for just the third time in their history, but they'll represent the confederation in Russia this summer.
What five things should you know about New Zealand heading into this tournament?
They're called the All Whites because of an antiquated uniform rule
By far the most famous of New Zealand's national sports teams, the "All Blacks" rugby union team is known the world over for their incredible prowess. They earned their nickname due to a 1905 typographical error that said the New Zealanders played as if they were "all backs", and it stuck, due to their growing fame and the all black jerseys they played in. New Zealand's soccer team didn't enjoy anywhere near the same success, and were forced to play in white due to an antiquated FIFA rule prohibiting teams from wearing all black. From that, they subsequently earned the nickname the "All Whites".
West Ham star Winston Reid won't play in the tournament
New Zealand's best player and captain Winston Reid will not participate in this year's tournament due to a groin injury. It's a massive loss for the All Whites, with Reid's seven years with West Ham making him by far the most experienced campaigner at the highest level. Despite only having earned 20 caps, no one else in the current squad comes close to the professional record 28-year-old Reid can boast.
Bill Tuiloma is the first New Zealander to ever play in Ligue 1
New Zealand are still a developing football country, and as such, they haven't had many players at the highest level in Europe. 22-year-old Bill Tuiloma's made history in that regard, becoming the very first Kiwi to ever play in France's top division, signing for Olympique Marseille in 2013. Tuiloma hasn't had much of a sniff at Marseille's first team, but he still holds the distinction of being the only New Zealander to play in Ligue 1.
They're the only current member of Oceania to ever make the World Cup
With Australia's exit from the Oceania Football Confederation in 2006, New Zealand became the largest and most successful nation in the confederation by default. They're the only remaining country to have ever made it to the World Cup, and their two appearances (1982 and 2010) set them apart from every other fellow OFC nation.
They exited World Cup 2010 as the only team not to lose a single game
In just their second ever World Cup appearance, New Zealand had the distinction of being the only nation not to lose a single match. Their three consecutive draws saw them finish just behind Slovakia on three points, exiting the tournament, but they could hold their heads high knowing they were the only team out of the 32 not to catch an L.
