WC-2026: New Zealand national team squad announced

The New Zealand national team squad for the WC-2026 has been announced. Sport24.az reports that head coach Darren Bazeley has sent invitations to these players:

Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe ("Millwall", England), Alex Paulsen ("Legia" Warsaw, Poland), Michael Woud ("Auckland", New Zealand)

Defenders: Tim Payne ("Wellington Phoenix", New Zealand), Francis de Vries, Nando Pijnaker, Callan Elliot (all "Auckland", New Zealand), Tyler Bindon ("Nottingham Forest", England), Michael Boxall ("Minnesota United", USA), Liberato Cacace ("Wrexham", England), Finn Surman ("Portland Timbers", USA), Tommy Smith ("Braintree Town", England)

Midfielders: Joe Bell ("Viking", Norway), Matt Garbett ("Peterborough", England), Marko Stamenic ("Swansea", Wales), Sarpreet Singh, Alex Rufer (both "Wellington Phoenix", New Zealand), Elijah Just ("Motherwell", Scotland), Ben Old ("Saint-Étienne", France), Callum McCowatt ("Silkeborg", Denmark), Ryan Thomas ("Zwolle", Netherlands), Lachlan Bayliss ("Newcastle Jets", Australia)

Forwards: Chris Wood ("Nottingham Forest", England), Costa Barbarouses ("Western Sydney Wanderers", Australia), Ben Waine ("Port Vale", England), Jesse Randall ("Auckland", New Zealand).

It should be noted that the WC-2026 will be held in the USA, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19. New Zealand is in Group G together with Belgium, Egypt and Iran.