The Vanuatu national football team was founded in 1934. The team did not join the Oceania Football Conference or FIFA until 1988. The team was formerly known as New Hebrides until 1980.
As the New Hebrides, the team played their first match against New Zealand in 1953. The game ended 9-0 to New Zealand, a result that remains Vanuatu’s biggest ever defeat. The team’s record win came in a 18-0 win over Oceania minnows Kiribati in 2003.
Vanuatu has entered every world cup since 1994 but is yet to qualify. The team’s most famous result was a win over New Zealand in the 2004 Nations Cup. The victory was Vanuatu’s first of the competition and prevented New Zealand from reaching the final and potentially reaching the 2006 world cup.