New Zealand travel to North America for the FIFA World Cup this summer, chasing a first-ever tournament victory.<\/p>\n
The All Whites return to the global stage for the first time since 2010. This will be their third World Cup appearance, following 1982 and 2010. They have never won a finals match. Their previous best came in South Africa<\/a>, where three draws produced the only unbeaten group-stage campaign of the tournament.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The 16-year wait reflected brutal misfortune in intercontinental playoffs, with defeats to Mexico<\/a> (2013), Peru (2017) and Costa Rica<\/a> (2022). FIFA\u2019s decision to grant Oceania a guaranteed slot for the 48-team expansion changed everything. New Zealand sealed qualification with a 3-0 win over New Caledonia at Eden Park in March 2025.<\/p>\n New Zealand: 2026 World Cup Squad, Fixtures and Schedule<\/p>\n Darren Bazeley, in his first tournament as head coach, named his 26-man squad at the same Auckland venue on 14 May. Chris Wood<\/a> captains the side at 34, almost certainly for the final time. The Nottingham Forest<\/a> forward is New Zealand\u2019s all-time top scorer with 45 goals from 88 caps. He scored nine times during qualifying, including a hat-trick in the 7-0 semi-final demolition of Fiji.<\/p>\n Veteran defender Tommy Smith<\/a>, now 36 and at sixth-tier Braintree Town, joins Wood as the only returnees from 2010. Newcastle Jets midfielder Lachlan Bayliss earns a place two months after his international debut. The Australia-born 23-year-old qualifies through his father.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The squad reflects a growing overseas footprint, with 15 players based outside New Zealand or the A-League. Group G pairs the All Whites with Iran<\/a>, Egypt<\/a> and Belgium<\/a>. Iran open proceedings in Los Angeles, before fixtures against Egypt and Belgium at Vancouver\u2019s BC Place.<\/p>\n New Zealand base themselves in San Diego<\/a> throughout. Pre-tournament friendlies against Haiti<\/a> and England<\/a> in Florida will sharpen preparations. Ranked 85th by FIFA, the All Whites are the lowest-ranked side in North America.<\/p>\n New Zealand 2026 World Cup fixtures<\/p>\n Monday, June 16th \u2013 Iran vs New Zealand \u2013 Inglewood, USA<\/p>\n Sunday, June 21st \u2013 New Zealand vs Egypt \u2013 Vancouver, Canada<\/a><\/p>\n Friday, June 27th \u2013 New Zealand vs Belgium \u2013 Vancouver, Canada<\/p>\n What time do New Zealand\u2019s World Cup games kick off?<\/p>\n All kick-off times are BST.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n New Zealand vs Egypt, 8pm<\/p>\n New Zealand vs Belgium, 4am<\/p>\n New Zealand 2026 FIFA World Cup Squad<\/p>\n Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe<\/a> (Millwall), Alex Paulsen<\/a> (Lechia Gda\u0144sk), Michael Woud<\/a> (Auckland FC)<\/p>\n Defenders: Tyler Bindon<\/a> (Nottingham Forest), Michael Boxall<\/a> (Minnesota United<\/a>), Liberato Cacace<\/a> (Wrexham), Francis De Vries<\/a> (Auckland FC), Callan Elliot<\/a> (Auckland FC), Tim Payne<\/a> (Wellington Phoenix), Nando Pijnaker<\/a> (Auckland FC), Tommy Smith (Braintree Town), Finn Surman<\/a> (Portland Timbers<\/a>)<\/p>\n Midfielders: Joe Bell (Viking FK), Matt Garbett (Peterborough United), Alex Rufer<\/a> (Wellington Phoenix), Sarpreet Singh<\/a> (Wellington Phoenix), Marko Stameni\u0107<\/a> (Swansea City), Ryan Thomas<\/a> (PEC Zwolle)<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Forwards: Kosta Barbarouses<\/a> (Western Sydney Wanderers), Lachlan Bayliss (Newcastle Jets), Eli Just (Motherwell), Callum McCowatt<\/a> (Silkeborg), Ben Old<\/a> (Saint-\u00c9tienne), Jesse Randall<\/a> (Auckland FC), Ben Waine<\/a> (Port Vale), Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)<\/p>\n Read more \u2013\u00a0The favourites for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball<\/a><\/p>\n See Also-\u00a0The five favourites to win the 2026 World Cup<\/a><\/p>\n Follow the Football Faithful on Social Media:<\/p>\n Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a> | Twitter<\/a> | YouTube<\/a> | TikTok<\/a><\/p>\n