Chris Wood the headline name as New Zealand release squad for FIFA World Cup

[p]All Whites have only qualified for the football showpiece twice before, with their most recent participation coming in 2010 in South Africa. [/p][p]Wood, then just 18 years old, was the youngest player in the squad that exited the tournament unbeaten after drawing against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/slovakia/KpLb2q1U/"]Slovakia[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/hlKvieGH/"]Italy[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/paraguay/YaNlqp6j/"]Paraguay[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-zealand/rLctHkpU/"]New Zealand[/a] will face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/iran/xrRx85iA/"]Iran[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/egypt/bejDn7NN/"]Egypt[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/belgium/GbB957na/"]Belgium[/a] in the 2026 group stage, beginning their campaign against Iran on June 16.[/p][embed guid="99acdb4a-105d-42c2-86f2-a73986cb9ceb" url="https://x.com/NZ_Football/status/2054701138352738474?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Wood has made 19 appearances for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nottingham/UsushcZr/"]Nottingham Forest[/a] this season, scoring six goals despite spending time sidelined through injury.[/p][h2]New Zealand squad[/h2][p][b]Goalkeepers:[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/crocombe-max/xSeBjmIu/"]Max Crocombe[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/paulsen-alex/AF8MfxI4/"]Alex Paulsen[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/woud-michael/0Q6DZf55/"]Michael Woud[/a][/p][p][b]Defenders:[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bindon-tyler/6H76cPi2/"]Tyler Bindon[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/boxall-michael/f9lQiP3d/"]Michael Boxall[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cacace-liberato/4SWMMcZd/"]Liberato Cacace[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-vries-francis/pbGUl5vN/"]Francis de Vries[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/elliot-callan/ClMAYmKq/"]Callan Elliot[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/payne-tim/Gd2DkZCC/"]Tim Payne[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pijnaker-nando/S4rLGEO7/"]Nando Pijnaker[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smith-tommy/r5mvuWG4/"]Tommy Smith[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/surman-finn/vw2VBzE5/"]Finn Surman[/a][/p][p][b]Midfielders: [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bayliss-lachlan/bRh3JYe4/"]Lachlan Bayliss[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bell-joe/QBMgFQJj/"]Joe Bell[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/garbett-matthew/8Id57pqd/"]Matt Garbett[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/villalobos-benji/ddBQH5l3/"]Ben Old[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rufer-alex/CARhGI8s/"]Alex Rufer[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/singh-sarpreet/6N9LXYZH/"]Sarpreet Singh[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stamenic-marko/0bIwzZI6/"]Marko Stamenic[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thomas-ryan/6FLvaY09/"]Ryan Thomas[/a][/p][p][b]Forwards:[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barbarouses-kosta/lzWhNz3t/"]Kosta Barbarouses[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/just-elijah/CxtyLmOd/"]Eli Just[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mccowatt-callum/b3ByUPYq/"]Callum McCowatt[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/randall-jesse/SvHX4DoT/"]Jesse Randall[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/waine-ben/4bV9zVjr/"]Ben Waine[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wood-chris/Cp7L7Gro/"]Chris Wood[/a][/p]