Chris Wood Leads Headlines in New Zealand's FIFA World Cup Squad Reveal

The All Whites have earned a spot in the global football event just twice in history, their latest appearance in 2010 at the South Africa tournament.

At only 18, Wood was the youngest member of that team, which left the competition without a loss, tying matches with Slovakia, Italy, and Paraguay.

In the 2026 group phase, New Zealand will take on Iran, Egypt, and Belgium, kicking off versus Iran on June 16.

This season, Wood has featured in 19 games for Nottingham Forest, netting six goals even after dealing with an injury layoff.

New Zealand squad

Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Michael Woud

Defenders: Tyler Bindon, Michael Boxall, Liberato Cacace, Francis de Vries, Callan Elliot, Tim Payne, Nando Pijnaker, Tommy Smith, Finn Surman

Midfielders: Lachlan Bayliss, Joe Bell, Matt Garbett, Ben Old, Alex Rufer, Sarpreet Singh, Marko Stamenic, Ryan Thomas

Forwards: Kosta Barbarouses, Eli Just, Callum McCowatt, Jesse Randall, Ben Waine, Chris Wood