Nearly half of New Zealand’s squad for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup qualifiers features players from the Isuzu UTE A-League as the All Whites aim to secure their spot in next year’s prestigious tournament.
Head coach Darren Bazeley has selected a 23-player squad that includes 11 stars from the A-League—six hailing from league leaders Auckland FC, three from Wellington Phoenix, and one each from Central Coast Mariners and Perth Glory.
The 11 A-League representatives in the New Zealand squad come from four clubs:
Auckland FC: Alex Paulsen, Nando Pijnaker, Jesse Randall, Logan Rogerson, Tommy Smith, Francis de Vries
Central Coast Mariners: Storm Roux
Perth Glory: Oli Sail
Wellington Phoenix: Kosta Barbarouses, Tim Payne, Alex Rufer
The All Whites are set to clash with Fiji in the semi-finals of the Oceania Qualifiers on March 25 in Wellington, with the winner advancing to the final against the victor of the New Caledonia versus Tahiti match.
The winners of the Oceania Qualifiers will earn an automatic berth at the World Cup for the first time ever following the tournament’s expansion, which allows a team from the OFC direct entry. Should the All Whites prevail, it will mark New Zealand’s first appearance at the men’s tournament in 16 years.
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“We’ve reached the critical stage of the competition, and we know there’s important work ahead in these matches to secure a return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2010,” said Bazeley.
“We’re not taking anything for granted; everyone in the squad is fully focused on our goals this month.
“We’ve maintained a consistent selection process over the past year to foster cohesion within the team, so whenever players arrive for camp, they know what’s expected, especially with the limited time we have together to perform.”
“It was fantastic to see the support we received last year, and we’re thrilled about the opportunity to contest for a place at the FIFA World Cup 2026 right in front of our supporters. We hope to see as many fans as possible in the stands.”
New Zealand Squad
Kosta Barbarouses (65 caps/7 goals) Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand
Joe Bell (22/1) Viking FK, Norway
Tyler Bindon (13/2) Reading FC, England (on loan from Nottingham Forest)
Michael Boxall (53/0) Minnesota United, USA
Liberato Cacace (31/1) Empoli FC, Italy
Max Crocombe (13/0) Burton Albion, England
Matt Garbett (28/5) NAC Breda, Netherlands
Eli Just (32/6) SKN St. Pölten, Austria (on loan from Horsens)
Callum McCowatt (21/4) Silkeborg IF, Denmark
Alex Paulsen (3/0) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand (on loan from AFC Bournemouth)
Tim Payne (41/2) Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand
Nando Pijnaker (23/0) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand
Jesse Randall (4/1) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand
Logan Rogerson (14/2) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand
Storm Roux (15/0) Central Coast Mariners, Australia
Alex Rufer (18/0) Wellington Phoenix, Aotearoa New Zealand
Oli Sail (9/0) Perth Glory, Australia
Sarpreet Singh (16/2) U.D. Leiria, Portugal
Tommy Smith (56/2) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand
Marko Stamenić (27/2) Olympiacos, Greece (on loan from Nottingham Forest)
Francis de Vries (8/1) Auckland FC, Aotearoa New Zealand
Ben Waine (22/8) Mansfield Town, England (on loan from Plymouth Argyle)
Chris Wood (80/41) Nottingham Forest, England
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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