Live updates as All Whites coach Darren Bazeley names his squad for this year’s Fifa World Cup.
Who makes coach Darren Bazeley’s final 26?
By Michael Burgess
For 26 New Zealand footballers, Thursday will be a life-changing moment.
That’s the day when they will be officially confirmed in the squad going to a Fifa men’s World Cup, just the third group from this country to have such an honour. Next month they will be part of the greatest sporting event on the globe – yes, it is bigger than the Olympics – which might lead to all kinds of opportunities. For those who perform well on the field, it could result in new clubs or new deals, but everyone involved will savour the unique experience and the connections made.
Selection also brings huge financial consequences. Each participating nation is guaranteed around US$10 million in prizemoney, with that number jumping to US$11 million for teams that reach the round of 32. For the players who have their names read out by coach Darren Bazeley, it means they will be in line to receive at least $250,000 – and possibly even more.
It’s a staggering sum, unprecedented in New Zealand sport, dwarfing anything the All Blacks or Black Caps receive for participating in their World Cups. Obviously, there are some players in the group – most notably Chris Wood at Nottingham Forest – who are on big money with their clubs, which means this payout, while still important, is less significant. But for many others it represents a major portion of – or even greatly exceeds – their annual salary.
“It’s going to be massive,” one potential squad member told the Herald last year. “You don’t play for the money – you play for your country – but obviously it’s a big amount.”
The payday adds another layer to the borderline calls that Bazeley will have to make and will deepen the hurt for those who miss out. But those who are there can only look forward, to what could be the trip of a lifetime, with games in Los Angeles on June 16 (Iran), then Vancouver on June 22 and 27 (Egypt, then Belgium) before a possible second-round match in either New York, Dallas or Vancouver.
It’s also a slice of history. Twenty-two players went to the 1982 carnival in Spain under John Adshead, with a further 23 in South Africa in 2010 under Ricki Herbert. That World Cup roll of honour will extend to almost 70 names now. As reported in Tuesday’s Herald, there won’t be too many surprises in the squad, because Bazeley has clearly signalled his intentions over the past 12 months or so.
But there is competition for the last spot in some areas, particularly goalkeeper, central defence, right full back, central midfield and wing. Michael Woud has probably done enough for Auckland FC to edge out the other contenders for the third goalkeeper role, while Newcastle’s Lachlan Bayliss appears to have the edge over Owen Parker-Price and Cam Howieson in the middle of the park. Callan Elliot should get the nod at right back, ahead of Storm Roux and other alternatives.
The most contentious call could be at centre back, with Tommy Smith and Bill Tuiloma seemingly in direct competition for the last spot. The Herald expects Smith will get the call, which will raise eyebrows for many, given he hasn’t featured in any of the past 17 games for the All Whites and is currently playing in the fifth tier of English football with Braintree Town.
New Zealand will be one of the first nations to confirm their final tournament squad, only preceded by Sweden and Bosnia-Herzegovina, with 45 other countries still to come. Most will be named by next week but some, including Argentina, Colombia, United States and Australia, will finalise their squads days before the deadline of June 2, with the Socceroos waiting until June 1.
Bazeley was never going to take that approach. He felt it was unnecessary, because New Zealand doesn’t have the depth of other nations, but also possibly unfair. “We leave on the 25th May, so it is getting pretty close," Bazeley told the Herald last month. He pointed out that a lot of clubs finish training in early May, including A-League (non-playoff), Championship and League One.
“Some players will be thinking, ‘Do I carry on training or should I go on holiday?”, said Bazeley. “I feel like that is quite a hard waiting time. I would rather let them know.”
New Zealand lodged a 55-player longlist with Fifa last month, before the 26 names are revealed on Thursday. However, it is also expected that Bazeley will name up to six standby players, who could be called up in case of serious injury or illness. Countries are allowed to replace players up to 24 hours before their first match, with no alterations permitted after that time.
Herald’s All Whites predicted 2026 Fifa World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Michael Woud.
Defenders: Tyler Bindon, Michael Boxall, Libby 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.
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.