The All Whites have named a strong squad for their upcoming internationals against Côte d’Ivoire and Ukraine in Canada.
Having secured their spot at next year’s Fifa World Cup, coach Darren Bazeley says there is a real opportunity for players to earn a spot at the tournament, which will be staged in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
It is just the third time the All Whites have qualified for the World Cup, having also competed in 1982 in Spain and 2010 in South Africa.
Bazeley has made five changes to the 23-man squad which helped the All Whitesqualify for the World Cup, headlined by the return of midfielder Ben Old and defender Finn Surman.
Old returns having recovered from a knee injury, while Surman is back after it was agreed between his club, the Portland Timbers and the All Whites he would miss the previous international window.
Fellow defenders Bill Tuiloma and Callan Elliot are also named, with Tim Payne and Storm Roux unavailable, while goalkeeper Nik Tzanev replaces Oli Sail.
Finn Surman celebrates scoring for the All Whites. Photo / Photosport
Auckland FC duo Logan Rogerson and Jesse Randall are the other players to drop out.
With Cote d’Ivoire and Ukraine ranked No 41 and No 25 respectively in the Fifa rankings, Bazeley knows it will be a tough test.
“To face two top-50 sides, in a tournament situation, in one of the Fifa World Cup 2026 host venues is the perfect challenge for us,” said Bazeley.
“We have made a few changes to the squad from March, which gives us the opportunity to look at some different players in the environment.
“We want real competition for places heading into the World Cup and the door is open for everyone to stake their claim to be part of the squad in 2026.”
The All Whites will face Côte d’Ivoire on Sunday June 8 at 11am, followed by Ukraine on Wednesday June 11 at 9am (both NZT), with both games to be played in Toronto, a host city for the 2026 World Cup.
Canada also face Côte d’Ivoire and Ukraine in what is being billed as the Canadian Shield.
The tournament will award three points for a win, one point for a draw and two points for a shootout win, with all games going to penalties after the regulation 90 minutes.
The All Whites have also locked in matches against Poland and Norway in October.
As it stands, only Canada, Mexico, the USA, Iran, Japan, Argentina and New Zealand have confirmed their place at the expanded 48-team World Cup.
All Whites squad to face Côte d’Ivoire and Ukraine
Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Nik Tzanev
