New Zealand have confirmed their 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Captain and All Whites great Chris Wood headlines the group, with the Nottingham Forest striker overcoming a knee injury to ensure his availability.
Wood is already the country’s all-time goalscorer and is also one cap away from breaking the men’s national team appearance record. Alongside fifth-tier Braintree Town’s Tommy Smith, the pair are set to make history as the first New Zealand players to appear at two World Cups.
But the rest of the group will be just as important to the lowest ranked team at the tournament, as the world No. 85 bids for a first World Cup finals win and appearance in the knockout stage.
“We have spent the last few years building to this moment and tracking around 55 players in contention to make it on to the plane to Canada, Mexico, the U.S.A,” said head coach Darren Bazeley on announcing the squad on Thursday morning.
“Now the time for discussions is over, we need to head to the tournament and take the opportunity in front of us to make history for New Zealand.”
Are there any surprise omissions?
The inclusion of Tommy Smith has caused plenty of discussion.
The 36-year-old is the only player, alongside Wood, to have played at a previous World Cup (South Africa 2010). Smith currently plays for English fifth-tier club, Braintree Town, and Bazeley acknowledged his inclusion owes more to him being a “cultural architect” off the pitch this summer, than the likelihood of him appearing on it.
Still, his inclusion has denied a spot for players such as former Charlotte and Portland centre-back, Bill Tuiloma.
On the plus side, the form of 23-year-old midfielder Lachlan Bayliss has been rewarded with a call-up that would not have been expected 12 months ago.
Wood (left) is joined in the squad by Swansea’s Marko Stamenic and new club team-mate Tyler Bindon (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
Are there any notable injury absentees?
There will be a huge sigh of relief Wood is back fit, playing and available for selection — that was the sole concern of everyone from a New Zealand perspective.
In fact, all of Bazeley’s major injury issues have been resolved ahead of announcing the squad, with Wrexham’s Liberato Cacace and midfielder Sarpreet Singh among those to prove their fitness following recent injuries.
What is the one problem the manager needs to solve?
It’s more like three, with competition from overseas-based players at goalkeeper, centre-back and in central midfield providing big unknowns ahead of New Zealand’s opening game against Iran.
The squad offered relatively few surprises, but the starting XI for that opening Group D game is much more up in the air.
Who are their warm-up games against?
New Zealand’s World Cup preparations will step up when they take on Haiti at Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, June 3. Another Florida date follows four days later, when the All Whites face England at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa.
New Zealand’s 26-man World Cup squad in full
Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe (Millwall), Alex Paulsen (Lechia Gdansk), Michael Woud (Auckland FC).
Defenders: Tim Payne (Wellington Phoenix), Francis De Vries (Auckland FC), Tyler Bindon (Nottingham Forest), Michael Boxall (Minnesota United), Liberato Cacace (Wrexham), Nando Pijnaker (Auckland FC), Finn Surman (Portland Timbers), Callan Elliot (Auckland FC), Tommy Smith (Braintree Town).
Midfielders: Joe Bell (Viking FK), Matt Garbett (Peterborough United), Marko Stamenic (Swansea), Sarpreet Singh (Wellington Phoenix), Alex Rufer (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle).
Forwards: Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest), Eli Just (Motherwell), Kosta Barbarouses (Western Sydney Wanderers), Ben Waine (Port Vale), Ben Old (Saint-Etienne), Callum McCowatt (Silkeborg), Jesse Randall (Auckland FC), Lachlan Bayliss (Newcastle Jets).
