Spanish soccer fans in New Zealand are riding high after winning Soccer the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in South Africa.

Early rising fans filled bars throughout the country and were rewarded with an intense match as both sides battled into extra time until Spain scored in the dying minutes.

In Wellington, Spanish fans celebrated at Dixon Street bar Four Kings bar, while Dutch supporters drowned their sorrows two streets over at water-front bar St Johns.

A spokesman at the Spanish Consulate in Wellington said staff were delighted and hadn't showed up for work yet.

"Disappointing" was the word of the day for New Zealand Netherlands Society secretary Dawn Dorresteijn.

"The Dutch tried to dispossess the Spanish of the ball but in doing so committed some fouls. It's really quite disappointing," she told NZPA.

New Zealanders should be hurting more as the society estimated about 4 percent of New Zealanders had Dutch heritage, while Mrs Dorresteijn said she had never come across any Spaniards living here.

However, New Zealanders can take some pleasure from the result, which left the All Whites as the only unbeaten side in the tournament.

Despite New Zealand's first-round elimination from the tournament, their 1-1, 1-1 and 0-0 draws against Slovakia, Italy and Paraguay left them with a record of sorts.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP