20 Worst Squads In FIFA World Cup History
9. New Zealand (1982)
Speaking of 1982, we continue this list with a visit to that very tournament. Football isn’t the first sport that comes to mind when people think of New Zealand as they have had far more success in sports such as rugby and cricket. But, New Zealand have found their way to the World Cup finals on two separate occasions, with the first coming in 1982.
The 1982 finals included some surprising names such as Kuwait, Peru, Honduras and of course New Zealand. The Kiwi’s would have ideally liked a promising opening campaign onto football’s biggest stage, but it didn’t work out that way. In a group alongside Brazil, Soviet Union and Scotland, New Zealand struggled to make even the faintest of splashes.
In their opening game they gave Scotland their biggest ever World Cup victory by losing 2-5, before going on to suffer a 0-3 defeat to the Soviet Union and a 0-4 hiding against Brazil in the conclusive match. This match condemned New Zealand to a -10 goal difference and the small Ocianan nation would not return to the World Cup again until 2010.