New Zealand: 2026 World Cup Squad, Fixtures and Schedule | OneFootball

New Zealand travel to North America for the FIFA World Cup this summer, chasing a first-ever tournament victory.

The All Whites return to the global stage for the first time since 2010. This will be their third World Cup appearance, following 1982 and 2010. They have never won a finals match. Their previous best came in South Africa, where three draws produced the only unbeaten group-stage campaign of the tournament.

The 16-year wait reflected brutal misfortune in intercontinental playoffs, with defeats to Mexico (2013), Peru (2017) and Costa Rica (2022). FIFA’s decision to grant Oceania a guaranteed slot for the 48-team expansion changed everything. New Zealand sealed qualification with a 3-0 win over New Caledonia at Eden Park in March 2025.

New Zealand: 2026 World Cup Squad, Fixtures and Schedule

Darren Bazeley, in his first tournament as head coach, named his 26-man squad at the same Auckland venue on 14 May. Chris Wood captains the side at 34, almost certainly for the final time. The Nottingham Forest forward is New Zealand’s all-time top scorer with 45 goals from 88 caps. He scored nine times during qualifying, including a hat-trick in the 7-0 semi-final demolition of Fiji.

Veteran defender Tommy Smith, now 36 and at sixth-tier Braintree Town, joins Wood as the only returnees from 2010. Newcastle Jets midfielder Lachlan Bayliss earns a place two months after his international debut. The Australia-born 23-year-old qualifies through his father.

The squad reflects a growing overseas footprint, with 15 players based outside New Zealand or the A-League. Group G pairs the All Whites with Iran, Egypt and Belgium. Iran open proceedings in Los Angeles, before fixtures against Egypt and Belgium at Vancouver’s BC Place.

New Zealand base themselves in San Diego throughout. Pre-tournament friendlies against Haiti and England in Florida will sharpen preparations. Ranked 85th by FIFA, the All Whites are the lowest-ranked side in North America.

New Zealand 2026 World Cup fixtures

What time do New Zealand’s World Cup games kick off?

All kick-off times are BST.

New Zealand 2026 FIFA World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe (Millwall), Alex Paulsen (Lechia Gdańsk), Michael Woud (Auckland FC)

Defenders: Tyler Bindon (Nottingham Forest), Michael Boxall (Minnesota United), Liberato Cacace (Wrexham), Francis De Vries (Auckland FC), Callan Elliot (Auckland FC), Tim Payne (Wellington Phoenix), Nando Pijnaker (Auckland FC), Tommy Smith (Braintree Town), Finn Surman (Portland Timbers)

Midfielders: Joe Bell (Viking FK), Matt Garbett (Peterborough United), Alex Rufer (Wellington Phoenix), Sarpreet Singh (Wellington Phoenix), Marko Stamenić (Swansea City), Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle)

Forwards: Kosta Barbarouses (Western Sydney Wanderers), Lachlan Bayliss (Newcastle Jets), Eli Just (Motherwell), Callum McCowatt (Silkeborg), Ben Old (Saint-Étienne), Jesse Randall (Auckland FC), Ben Waine (Port Vale), Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)

Read more – The favourites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball

See Also- The five favourites to win the 2026 World Cup

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