Oceania Cup group stage standings, why did New Zealand not participate in the 2022 World Cup

The Oceania Cup group stage standings have been released. To the surprise of many football fans, New Zealand did not participate in the 2022 World Cup. So, why didn't New Zealand participate in this World Cup? Let's analyze the reasons together below.

First of all, participating in the World Cup requires passing the qualifying test. As an Oceanian country, New Zealand does not have the fiercely competitive football atmosphere and strength like Europe, South America, Asia and other regions. Although they have performed well in the past few World Cup qualifiers, they have rarely encountered truly challenging opponents in the qualifiers due to their relatively weak opponents.

Secondly, the development of football in New Zealand lags behind. On the world football stage, New Zealand's performance is not outstanding. Although they achieved relatively successful results at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, they did not fully consolidate their strength in subsequent World Cup qualifiers. The development of football in New Zealand requires more investment and the cultivation of more outstanding players.

In addition, New Zealand football faces the problem of talent shortage. Due to the relatively small size of the country's football population and the relatively low level of local football competition, New Zealand faces many difficulties and challenges in attracting and cultivating football talents. In contrast, some countries with strong football strength, such as Brazil and Germany, have more talent reserves and can achieve better results in the World Cup.

There are three main reasons why New Zealand did not participate in the 2022 World Cup: First, the opponents it encountered in the qualifiers were relatively weak and lacked truly challenging opponents; second, its football development was relatively lagging behind and had not yet formed a strong competitiveness; Third, New Zealand is facing the problem of talent shortage, and they need more time and investment to improve their football level. It is hoped that as time goes by, New Zealand football will achieve better development and have more opportunities to participate in the World Cup.