New Zealand have become the latest nation to name their squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Darren Bazeley has named his 26-man squad and, although expectations aren’t high for the OFC nation, there will be significant interest from England, with several players named from Premier League and EFL clubs.
A large portion of players on the list play their football in Australia but there’s plenty of European experience in the squad, with Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest being the most recognisable name. There’s lots of EFL interest too, with Max Crocombe, Liberato Cacace and Marko Stamenic all included. There’s also a non-league player included in the squad, with Tommy Smith named. Smith plays for Braintree Town, who were recently relegated to the National League South.
- Bet £10 get £30
- Excellent Football Betting Options
- Extensive Bet-Builder
- Multi-Award Winning Bookmaker
New customers can sign up using bonus code SQUAWKA365, bet £10 and get £30 in Free Bets. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration Required. This code is for marketing and tracking purposes only. #Ad.
New Zealand World Cup 2026 squad
| Squad number | Player | Position | Domestic club | International caps | International goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Crocombe | GK | Millwall (England) | 22 | 0 |
| 12 | Alex Paulsen | GK | Lechia Gdańsk (Poland) | 6 | 0 |
| 22 | Michael Woud | GK | Auckland FC (Australia) | 6 | 0 |
| 5 | Michael Boxall | DF | Minnesota United (USA) | 61 | 1 |
| 26 | Tommy Smith | DF | Braintree Town (England) | 56 | 2 |
| 2 | Tim Payne | DF | Wellington Phoenix (Australia) | 49 | 3 |
| 13 | Liberato Cacace | DF | Wrexham (England) | 35 | 1 |
| 4 | Tyler Bindon | DF | Sheffield United (England) | 23 | 3 |
| 15 | Nando Pijnaker | DF | Auckland FC (Australia) | 23 | 0 |
| 3 | Francis de Vries | DF | Auckland FC (Australia) | 18 | 1 |
| 16 | Finn Surman | DF | Portland Timbers (USA) | 17 | 2 |
| 24 | Callan Elliot | DF | Auckland FC (Australia) | 9 | 0 |
| 11 | Elijah Just | MF | Motherwell (Scotland) | 42 | 9 |
| 8 | Marko Stamenic | MF | Swansea City (England) | 37 | 3 |
| 7 | Matthew Garbett | MF | Peterborough United (England) | 35 | 5 |
| 6 | Joe Bell | MF | Viking (Norway) | 31 | 1 |
| 20 | Callum McCowatt | MF | Silkeborg (Denmark) | 30 | 4 |
| 10 | Sarpreet Singh | MF | Wellington Phoenix (Australia) | 26 | 3 |
| 23 | Ryan Thomas | MF | Zwolle (Netherlands) | 25 | 3 |
| 14 | Alex Rufer | MF | Wellington Phoenix (Australia) | 24 | 0 |
| 19 | Ben Old | MF | Saint-Etienne (France) | 22 | 2 |
| 25 | Lachlan Bayliss | MF | Newcastle Jets (Australia) | 2 | 0 |
| 9 | Chris Wood | FW | Nottingham Forest (England) | 88 | 45 |
| 17 | Kosta Barbarouses | FW | Western Sydney Wanderers (Australia) | 74 | 10 |
| 18 | Ben Waine | FW | Port Vale (England) | 30 | 9 |
| 21 | Jesse Randall | FW | Auckland FC (Australia) | 9 | 2 |
There’s plenty of experience in the New Zealand squad, with players plying their trade in the Premier League, Ligue 1 and Eredivisie as well as the Championship but the quality may still be lacking.
It’s a tough group for New Zealand and expectations aren’t high but with third place potentially being enough to see them into the last-32, a victory over Egypt or Iran could be enough.
- Read more: New Zealand World Cup 2026 odds
Three players to look out for this summer
Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)
Chris Wood is certainly the best known player in the All Whites squad and he could represent New Zealand’s best chance of making it out of Group G. He’s had his injury problems for Nottingham Forest this season but he’s still managed 35 goals in 71 appearances over the past two campaigns.
Wood’s game is paced on power, striking ability and performing well in the air, three attributes that could prove to be vital to New Zealand’s success this summer.
Kosta Barbarouses (Western Sydney Wanderers)
If Wood is the powerhouse of the New Zealand attack, Kosta Barbarouses represents the pace and agility. Standing at only 5’7″, Barbarouses is more likely to stretch the play and move into space with the ball, making him the perfect foil for his strike partner.
Barbarouses has been a mainstay in the Australian A-League for almost 20 years, playing almost 400 games and scoring just over 100 goals in his career.
Elijah Just (Motherwell)
Elijah Just has had a standout season for Motherwell in what has been their most successful SPL campaign in a few years. He’s contributed with eight goals from the wing. That form has translated to the national team, where he’s scored nine times in 42 appearances.
Just will provide the New Zealand attack with plenty of energy and his ability to put the ball into the box could be beneficial for the All Whites striker duo to thrive on.
Bet £10 & Get £30 in Free Bets with Bet365
Not signed up to bet365 yet? Here's how to claim one of the best bookmaker welcome offers around...
- Open an account (here's a link)
- Make a qualifying deposit of between £5* and £10*
- Claim the offer to receive three times your deposit in 'Free Bets'.
- To release your 'Free Bets', place qualifying bets to the value of your qualifying deposit and allow those bets to settle.
- Your 'Free Bets' will become available shortly after your qualifying bets have settled
- To use your 'Free Bets', select 'Use bet credits' in the bet slip.
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.
New Zealand World Cup 2026 fixtures
Read more:
