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This article is portion of nan Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a practice betwixt immoderate of nan champion media organisations from nan 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is moving previews from 3 countries each time successful nan run-up to nan tourney kicking disconnected connected 11 June.
The plan
New Zealand, known arsenic nan All Whites, are backmost astatine nan World Cup for conscionable nan 3rd time, acknowledgment to winning nan Oceania region’s sole qualifying spot. Since their past World Cup successful 2010 New Zealand person evolved from part-timers to professionals and location is belief they person nan skillset and acquisition to make nan knockout rounds for nan first time.
It’s a gangly order, though. New Zealand, astatine No 85 nan event’s lowest-ranked qualifiers, are up against Belgium, who are ninth, Egypt, 29th, and Iran, 21st, successful Group G. The renowned commentator Paul Ifill says nan existent squad is “miles better” than nan 1 that went to South Africa, wherever they vanished unbeaten pinch 3 draws. After nan squad announcement nan coach, Darren Bazeley, agreed nan broadside were successful a bully place: “It’s a blend of breathtaking young talent and knowledgeable players to maximise our chances of winning games and getting retired of our group.”
Bazeley favours possession football, which worked successful their qualifiers but will beryllium a bigger inquire against much skilled opponents. Since qualifying their 10 friendlies person included a tie against Norway (without Erling Haaland) and 7 losses, including 2 to Australia. The warm-up matches successful March were mixed, a lacklustre 2-0 nonaccomplishment to Finland preceding a sparkling 4-1 triumph against Chile days later. It was New Zealand’s first ever triumph against a South American side.
New Zealand: Group G fixtures
Show15 June v Iran, Los Angeles (6pm local, 16 June 2am BST, 16 June 11am AEST)
21 June v Egypt, Vancouver (6pm local, 16 June 2am BST, 16 June 11am AEST)
26 June v Belgium, Vancouver (8pm local, 27 June 4am BST, 27 June 1pm AEST)
Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood, nan captain, is 1 of 2 survivors of nan past run and overmuch will dangle connected his fitness. The striker was a contender for apical scorer successful nan Premier League successful nan 2024-25 season, but a superior knee wounded precocious past twelvemonth sidelined him for respective months.
“New Zealand will request to beryllium capable to take sides without nan shot and past activity retired really to wounded opponents erstwhile we get nan shot back. A batch will dangle connected whether Wood is afloat fit,” Ifill says. The qualifying run – sealed pinch triumph complete New Caledonia successful March 2025 – was “money for aged statement for nan All Whites” against smaller Pacific nations, nan commentator Mathew Nash said. “The gulf betwixt New Zealand and nan different OFC nations has been exacerbated to a chasm successful caller years, arsenic evident by nan All Whites’ past 15 games against federation rivals: 14 wins, 1 draw, 4 goals conceded and 64 goals scored,” he told Radio New Zealand.
The coach
Northampton-born Darren Bazeley has grown into nan domiciled and sewage nan squad playing amended to specified a grade they could beryllium tin of nan knockout phase. Bazeley will execute a World Cup first successful LA arsenic nan first man to person coached astatine Olympic Games, under-17, under-20 and elder World Cup level. As a defender he chalked up much than 450 appearances for Watford, Wolves and Walsall earlier coaching successful nan A-League and MLS successful nan US. But nan bulk of his acquisition has unfolded successful New Zealand wherever his engagement astatine age-group level intends he has worked pinch each nan existent elder squad, players he’s kept religion pinch for nan World Cup.
Star player
Chris Wood, pinch 89 caps and 45 goals for nan nationalist team, fills a domiciled akin to Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal and Kylian Mbappé for France: skipper, grounds goalscorer and an inspiration. “He puts truthful overmuch into playing for New Zealand and he turns up and he does everything disconnected nan pitch,” Bazeley says. Having arrived successful England pinch West Bromwich Albion successful 2009, he had six indebtedness spells successful 3 years astatine nan nine earlier representing Leicester, Leeds, Burnley and Newcastle past taking his crippled to different level astatine Nottingham Forest.
One to watch
The 26-year-old attacking midfielder Eli Just shone successful nan 2025-26 Scottish Premiership season. He was named subordinate of nan twelvemonth for Motherwell, nan PFA’s subordinate of nan twelvemonth and besides made nan PFA Scotland Premiership squad of nan year. The Motherwell captain, Paul McGinn, rates nan somewhat built Kiwi arsenic “absolutely brilliant”, telling nan news website Stuff: “He’s truthful sharp. He’s specified a clever footballer. He knows wherever to beryllium and erstwhile to beryllium there.” The erstwhile All White Noel Barkley is besides a instrumentality and predicts Just will extremity up astatine a bigger nine soon. “He’s a quiet, humble Kiwi and nan astir unassuming footballer you’ll ever meet,” he says.
Probable starting XI
Unsung hero
The cardinal midfielder Joe Bell is happy taking a domiciled successful nan shadows. “I don’t for illustration to beryllium successful nan spotlight,” he says, though that doesn’t mean ducking his responsibilities successful some onslaught and defence. Rated successful Norway, wherever he plays his nine shot for Viking, for being bully successful duels and assured connected nan ball, Bell who has 31 caps, has been trusted pinch nan captaincy astatine times successful Wood’s absences.
What to expect from fans astatine games
With nan US acold distant and prices prohibitive for many, New Zealand are apt to beryllium outnumbered by guidance fans astatine each 3 group games but nan protagonist group “The Flying Kiwis” – geddit? – will beryllium there. Almost 500 of them will beryllium astatine nan group games, Barkley being 1 of them, and he promises they “will make a noise”. Matt Fejos, a Flying Kiwis personnel since 2009, told 1news.co.nz: “People deliberation of america arsenic a rugby country, and astir apt arsenic hobbits, but that allows america to spell successful pinch that underdog mentality, fearless. We want to stamp our people and show them thing different.”
Relationship pinch nan US/Donald Trump?
The US president kicked disconnected his 2nd word by claiming that his state had divided nan atom. Fact check: it was nan New Zealander Sir Ernest Rutherford who managed nan historical feat successful 1917 astatine Victoria University of Manchester successful England. Nick Smith, nan politician of nan metropolis of Nelson adjacent wherever Rutherford grew up, said he would induce nan US ambassador to New Zealand to “visit nan Lord Rutherford memorial successful Brightwater truthful we tin support nan historical grounds connected who divided nan atom first accurate”. Unsurprisingly location person been tariff threats too, if New Zealand didn’t motion up to a woody to supply nan US pinch minerals. Talks are ongoing.
Written by Maree Mahony for RNZ.
