Nation dossier · Group G · Out in the group stage

New Zealand

Group GOFCEliminated

Latest New Zealand 1–5 Belgium · Group G

Title probability

0.0%

as of 2026-07-20

Overview

New Zealand return to the World Cup stage as comfortable masters of Oceania, having dominated their confederation to claim the OFC's automatic berth. The All Whites are built around English Premier League striker Chris Wood, who carries the goalscoring burden and the captain's armband into the expanded 2026 finals.

This is a side blending hardened veterans with a genuinely exciting crop of young Europe-based talent. Players like Tyler Bindon, Marko Stamenic and Ben Old give Darren Bazeley's group more technical quality and athleticism than any previous New Zealand squad.

Expectations remain modest but real: the goal is to finally win a World Cup match and prove Oceania belongs among the elite.

Capital

Wellington

Population

5,361,300

Confederation

OFC

FIFA code

NZL

World

Region

From Wikipedia

New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island and the South Island —and over 600 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country by area and lies east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and south of the islands of New Caledonia, Fiji, and…

Source: Wikipedia →

Squad

Goalkeepers3

1
Max Crocombe
Millwall · First-choice goalkeeper
18caps
12
Alex Paulsen
Lechia Gdansk · On loan from Bournemouth
6caps
22
Michael Woud
Auckland FC

Defenders9

2
Tim Payne
Wellington Phoenix · Versatile experienced full-back
50caps
3
Francis De Vries
Auckland FC
4
Tyler Bindon
Nottingham Forest · Young Premier League centre-back
12caps
5
Michael Boxall
Minnesota United · Veteran centre-back
63caps
13
Liberato Cacace
Wrexham · Attacking left-back
35caps
15
Nando Pijnaker
Auckland FC · Ball-playing defender
20caps
16
Finn Surman
Portland Timbers · Emerging defensive talent
10caps
24
Callan Elliot
Auckland FC
26
Tommy Smith
Braintree Town · Two-time World Cup squad member
56caps

Midfielders7

6
Joe Bell
Viking FK · Central midfield anchor
30caps
8
Marko Stamenic
Swansea City · Box-to-box dynamo
37caps
10
Sarpreet Singh
Wellington Phoenix · Former Bayern Munich youth
28caps
14
Alex Rufer
Wellington Phoenix
26caps
19
Ben Old
Saint-Etienne · Promising young winger
12caps
20
Callum McCowatt
Silkeborg
23
Ryan Thomas
PEC Zwolle
25caps

Forwards7

9
Chris Wood
Nottingham Forest · Captain and all-time top scorer
90caps
11
Elijah Just
Motherwell
17
Kosta Barbarouses
Western Sydney Wanderers · Veteran attacker
76caps
18
Ben Waine
Port Vale
21
Jesse Randall
Auckland FC
25
Lachlan Bayliss
Newcastle Jets
–
Logan Rogerson
Auckland FC · Injury replacement call-up

Model

as of 2026-07-20

Champion0.0%

Reach final0.0%

Semi-final0.0%

Quarter-final0.0%

Round of 160.0%

Advance from group0.0%

Exp. points

1.00

Proj. finish

40.5

Seed Elo

1500

Title-probability trajectory

Champion chance across the last 14 snapshots

Matches

Results

BC Place, Vancouver

BC Place, Vancouver

SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles

History

1982
Group stage
2010
Group stage
2026
Group stage

Culture

Football culture

Football is the most-played participation sport among Kiwi youth, even if rugby dominates the headlines and hearts. The All Whites enjoy passionate, if intermittent, national support that swells dramatically during World Cup campaigns. Grassroots growth and Pacific Island heritage give the game a distinctive multicultural flavour.

Did you know

New Zealand was the only unbeaten team at the 2010 World Cup, yet went home in the group stage.
The country has more sheep than people — roughly five to one.
Chris Wood is New Zealand's all-time leading goalscorer and Premier League standard-bearer.
The All Whites' name is a nod to the legendary rugby All Blacks.
New Zealand routinely thrash Oceania minnows, once beating Fiji and others by huge margins in qualifying.