New Zealand

• 1
  New Zealand went out in the group stage with a single point to their name — a 2-2 draw with Iran — after losing 3-1 to Egypt and 5-1 to Belgium, the latter on June 26 ending their tournament. Only the third time the All Whites have ever made a World Cup finals, so simply being there was the achievement.
• 2
  The high point was that opening 2-2 draw with Iran. Elijah Just scored both New Zealand goals, and captain Chris Wood set up each one — the first time a New Zealand player has registered multiple assists in a single World Cup match. A genuinely proud night for a small football nation.
• 3
  The low point was Egypt's 3-1 win, sealed by a Mohamed Salah goal that gave Egypt their first-ever World Cup victory. Being the answer to someone else's piece of history is a familiar spot for smaller nations to find themselves in — bittersweet rather than embarrassing.
• 4
  Chris Wood, the 34-year-old Nottingham Forest striker and long-serving captain, was the standout — his hold-up play and link-up work set up both goals against Iran. The unglamorous kind of contribution that doesn't show up on a highlights reel but wins you the point.
• 5
  This was also the first time Oceania has had a direct, automatic spot at the World Cup rather than a play-off against a CONCACAF team — no last-gasp miracle required to get here, for once. That alone is worth celebrating on its own terms.