New Zealand team profile – FIFA World Cup 2026
In the build-up to FIFA World Cup 2026 in USA, Canada and Mexico, we shine a spotlight on New Zealand.
FIFA World Ranking: 85
Confederation: OFC
Who is New Zealand’s head coach for FIFA World Cup 2026?
New Zealand’s head coach for FIFA World Cup 2026 is Darren Bazeley. He has been in charge of the All Whites since July 2023 and has previously led the New Zealand U-17s, U-20s and U-23s.
Who is New Zealand’s captain for FIFA World Cup 2026?
New Zealand’s captain for FIFA World Cup 2026 is Chris Wood, who is also his country’s all-time record goalscorer.
How many times have New Zealand participated in a FIFA World Cup before 2026?
2 – 1982, 2010
What is New Zealand’s best performance at a FIFA World Cup?
Group Stage – 1982, 2010 (both of New Zealand’s previous FIFA World Cup appearances saw them eliminated in the group stage, although they ended FIFA World Cup 2010 unbeaten, having drawn all three of their group games but finishing third-place behind Paraguay and Slovakia.
How did New Zealand qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026?
New Zealand qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026 after winning the OFC qualification tournament. Staged across three rounds, Darren Bazeley’s men entered at round two of the competition, where eight nations were placed into two groups of four with the top two in each group advancing to round three.
The overwhelming favourites, New Zealand won all three of their games, beating Tahiti, Vanuatu and Samoa to top their group comfortably. Round three consisted of semi-finals and a final, with the All Whites thrashing Fiji 7-0, before defeating New Caledonia by three goals to nil on March 24, 2025.
New Zealand were powered by the goals of English Premier League striker Chris Wood, who was on target nine times during qualifying. That included back-to-back hat-tricks against Samoa and Fiji respectively.
Who are New Zealand’s star players?
Striker Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest) is by far the most recognisable name in the New Zealand squad, having enjoyed a long career in English football. Wood has spent each of his last nine active seasons playing in the Premier League, scoring over 90 goals in the English top flight. He is also the only New Zealand international to have scored a Premier League hat-trick. Wood currently plays for Nottingham Forest and is their record Premier League goalscorer.
Scorer of four goals in qualifying, including his side’s third goal in the round three final, winger Elijah Just (Motherwell) will provide support for Wood and is coming off the back of an outstanding debut season in the Scottish Premiership, which saw him named in the PFA Scotland Premiership Team of the Year. His versatility and ability on the ball will likely be key to New Zealand gameplans.
Who is in New Zealand’s group at FIFA World Cup 2026?
New Zealand are in Group G, which consists of the following teams:
Belgium
Egypt
IR Iran
New Zealand
New Zealand’s Group G fixtures are as follows:
IR Iran vs New Zealand: Monday June 15, 2026 – 9:00pm ET, 2:00am UK (Tuesday)
New Zealand vs Egypt: Sunday June 21, 2026 – 9:00pm ET, 2:00am UK (Monday)
New Zealand vs Belgium: Friday June 26, 2026 – 11:00pm ET, 4:00am UK (Saturday)
All kick-off dates are based on a local kick-off time
Where is New Zealand’s base camp at FIFA World Cup 2026?
Torero Stadium, University of San Diego – San Diego, California
Expert prediction for New Zealand’s chances at FIFA World Cup 2026
Whilst there are no behemoths in New Zealand’s group and in Chris Wood, they have a focal point up top who if given a big opportunity in front of goal, is likely to take, the reality is that New Zealand are huge underdogs heading into FIFA World Cup 2026. The All Whites are the lowest ranked team set to compete in the competition with all three of their opponents ranked in the top 30.
Although New Zealand prefer to deploy a possession-based playstyle under Darren Bazeley, the quality of opposition will likely force a change of tactics with them expected to see less of the ball and play more direct, utilising the aerial ability of Wood as much as possible.
The reality is that New Zealand are a nation who benefit from playing in the weakest confederation and this is expected to be reflected in their results at FIFA World Cup 2026, where a fourth-place finish in Group G is expected.
What round will New Zealand reach at FIFA World Cup 2026? Group Stage
