New Zealand
FIFA #90
A rugby nation that remembered it has a football team and qualified for the World Cup. The All Whites are delighted to be here and might just make it very uncomfortable for someone.
๐ In the US
Staying in the Seattle area, which shares a Pacific Rim energy with New Zealand and has a genuine New Zealand expat community. The All Whites fans are cheerful, rugby-adjacent, and deeply accustomed to being the underdog โ they've made their peace with it and are ready to enjoy every minute.
Style
Organized and physical, defending in a solid block and looking to use direct play and set pieces to nick something against the run of play.
Rivals
Australia. The Trans-Tasman rivalry covers cricket, rugby, and football โ Australia has dominated most of it, which makes New Zealand's periodic wins considerably sweeter.
Home Base
New Zealand is a rugby nation that occasionally remembers football exists and the OFC is not particularly competitive. The All Whites' 2010 World Cup appearance โ where they drew every game and still went home โ is the kind of result that becomes a source of national pride in a country still figuring out how to feel about football.
Human Rights
Freedom House
Political rights and civil liberties score (higher = more free)
Reporters Without Borders
Press Freedom Index ranking (lower = more free, out of 180 countries)
UN Human Development Index
Human Development Index score (higher = more developed, 0โ1 scale)
Transparency International
Perceived public sector corruption โ higher is cleaner
ILGA World
Legal status of same-sex relationships