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Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood was named on Thursday to lead New Zealand squad at the FIFA World Cup 2026, where they will chase a first-ever win in their third tournament appearance.
Prolific striker Wood, who has scored 45 goals in 88 matches for the All Whites, will captain the lowest-ranked team at the tournament.
Wood and defender Tommy Smith are the only members of the 26-man squad who also played in their most recent World Cup appearance, in South Africa in 2010.
New Zealand drew all three matches at that tournament and failed to advance through the group phase. In their only other World Cup visit, they lost all three group matches in Spain in 1982.
The 85th-ranked New Zealand earned direct World Cup entry by winning the Oceania qualifying series in March.
“It’s been a long time, 16 years, since we’ve been in the World Cup,” Wood said via video link at the squad announcement in Auckland.
“I can’t wait to share the moment with this team and hopefully create some history. I hope that we can do everybody proud and show the world what we’re capable of.”
Coach Darren Bazeley made one surprise selection in veteran defender Tommy Smith, who started all three matches in South Africa 16 years ago.
The 36-year-old now plays in the fifth tier of English football, for Braintree Town, but Bazeley said the former England age-group player’s wisdom would be invaluable.
“With a squad of 26, not everybody is going to play,” Bazeley said.
“So we added Tommy because his leadership is great. He’s going to be so important for the players keeping everybody on track. We’ll lean on him a lot.”
Bazeley said Wood and European-based midfielders Joe Bell, Marko Stamenic, Matt Garbett and Ryan Thomas will be key players.
Ten of the squad play in the Australian A-League competition, including eight at the league’s two New Zealand clubs, Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix.
Their first opponents in Group G are Iran in Los Angeles on June 15, before games against Egypt and Belgium.
Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe (Millwall FC), Alex Paulsen (Lechia Gdansk), Michael Woud (Auckland FC)
Defenders: Tyler Bindon (Nottingham Forest), Michael Boxall (Minnesota United FC), Liberato Cacace (Wrexham AFC), 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: Lachlan Bayliss (Newcastle Jets), Joe Bell (Viking FK), Matt Garbett (Peterborough United), Ben Old (AS Saint-Etienne), Alex Rufer (Wellington Phoenix), Sarpreet Singh (Wellington Phoenix), Marko Stamenic (Swansea City), Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle)
Forwards: Kosta Barbarouses (Western Sydney Wanderers), Elijah Just (Motherwell FC), Callum McCowatt (Silkeborg IF), Jesse Randall (Auckland FC), Ben Waine (Port Vale FC), Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)
READ: Injured Mitoma fails to make Japan’s squad for FIFA World Cup 2026
