Wood
The last time New Zealand played at a World Cup, they drew all three group games — including one against the defending champions, Italy — and went home without losing. That was 2010, in South Africa. Sixteen years later, the All Whites are back, and two members of that squad are still here. Chris Wood, 34, captain and all-time leading scorer with 45 goals in 88 appearances, leads New Zealand into the tournament from Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. Tommy Smith, 36, plays for Braintree Town in the fifth tier of English football. Both will become the first New Zealand men to appear at two World Cups.
The distance between Forest and Braintree Town tells you everything about the range of this squad. Between them sits a group drawn from New Zealand's domestic league, the A-League, and the lower reaches of European football — Norway, Wales, Poland, Denmark, France, Scotland, the Netherlands, and the United States.
Coach Darren Bazeley, who guided New Zealand through OFC qualifying as the confederation's sole representative, named his 26 at Eden Park in Auckland. "We have spent the last few years building to this moment," he said. "I'm confident we have landed on the best possible squad to face Iran, Egypt, Belgium, and beyond."
The squad
Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe (Millwall), Alex Paulsen (Lechia Gdańsk), 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 Stamenić (Swansea City), Sarpreet Singh (Wellington Phoenix), Alex Rufer (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle), Lachlan Bayliss (Newcastle Jets)
Forwards: Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest), Eli Just (Motherwell), Kosta Barbarouses (Western Sydney Wanderers), Ben Waine (Port Vale), Ben Old (Saint-Étienne), Callum McCowatt (Silkeborg), Jesse Randall (Auckland FC)
What it tells you
Wood is the squad's undisputed leader and its only world-class player. His 45 international goals make him New Zealand's most prolific scorer, and his experience in the Premier League — years at Burnley, Leeds, Newcastle, and now Forest — gives him a credibility that few players from Oceania have ever carried onto the World Cup stage. He follows Steve Sumner (1982) and Ryan Nelsen (2010) as the third man to captain New Zealand at a World Cup. An injury-disrupted season has limited his playing time, and his form has been a concern — just three goals across qualifying, with Bazeley acknowledging the challenge of getting Wood involved beyond the penalty box against higher-quality opponents.
Behind Wood, the midfield is where New Zealand's competitive quality lies. Joe Bell of Viking FK was described as "utterly sublime" in the most recent match against Chile. Marko Stamenić of Swansea City is the player with the highest ceiling — composed, progressive, and capable of dictating tempo against better teams. Bazeley plays two defensive midfielders in a double pivot, with attacking runners arriving beyond them.
Smith's recall at 36, from the fifth tier of English football, is a sentimental selection — but sentimentality earned by 56 caps and a previous World Cup campaign. At the other end of the spectrum, Lachlan Bayliss of Newcastle Jets debuted just two months ago — born in Australia, qualifying through his father — and was selected after a breakout A-League season.
New Zealand have played three World Cup matches without losing in normal time and three without winning. The challenge is simple: find the first victory. Ranked 86th in the world, they are the lowest-ranked team in Group G and one of the lowest at the tournament. But in 2010, they drew with Italy, Slovakia, and Paraguay and left unbeaten. "Now the time for discussions is over," Bazeley said. "We need to head to the tournament and take the opportunity in front of us to make history."
New Zealand are in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt, and Iran. They open against Iran on June 15 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, face Egypt on June 21 at BC Place in Vancouver, and conclude against Belgium on June 26 at BC Place in Vancouver.