New Zealand · Group G · FIFA #85
New Zealand World Cup 2026 squad: every player, position by position
New Zealand carry a 26-man squad into World Cup 2026, drawn from Group G with their opening fixture against Iran on 16 Jun 2026. Below: the full roster sorted by position, face wall, and squad breakdown.
Verified squad·ESPN, single source·as of 2026-06-15 04:10 UTC
Baseline facts
- FIFA rank
- No. 85
- Group
- Group G
- Squad
- Full squad list →
New Zealand squad: face by face
Max Crocombe
GK 
Alex Paulsen
GK 
Michael Woud
GK 
Tim Payne
DEF 
Francis de Vries
DEF 
Tyler Bindon
DEF 
Michael Boxall
DEF 
Liberato Cacace
DEF 
Finn Surman
DEF 
Callan Elliot
DEF 
Tommy Smith
DEF 
Joe Bell
MID 
Marko Stamenic
MID 
Sarpreet Singh
MID 
Alex Rufer
MID 
Callum McCowatt
MID 
Ryan Thomas
MID 
Lachlan Bayliss
MID 
Chris Wood
FWD 
Elijah Just
FWD 
Kosta Barbarouses
FWD 
Ben Waine
FWD 
Ben Old
FWD 
Jesse Randall
FWD 24 of 26 players carry a free-licensed photograph; the rest show a monogram until one is available. Photographs from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own free licence.
Squad profile
- 27.6avg age
- 21youngest (Tyler Bindon)
- 37oldest (Michael Boxall)
Position counts from the provisional ESPN roster. Ages at the data verification date.
Can New Zealand qualify from Group G?
The top two teams in each group advance directly to the round of 32. The eight best third-placed finishers also go through, giving New Zealand a meaningful safety net. Group G standings and New Zealand's specific qualification scenarios are tracked live on the group page.
Full squad list
| # | Player | Position | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Crocombe | Goalkeeper | 32 |
| 12 | Alex Paulsen | Goalkeeper | 23 |
| 22 | Michael Woud | Goalkeeper | 27 |
| 2 | Tim Payne | Defender | 32 |
| 3 | Francis de Vries | Defender | 31 |
| 4 | Tyler Bindon | Defender | 21 |
| 5 | Michael Boxall | Defender | 37 |
| 13 | Liberato Cacace | Defender | 25 |
| 15 | Nando Pijnaker | Defender | 27 |
| 16 | Finn Surman | Defender | 22 |
| 24 | Callan Elliot | Defender | 26 |
| 26 | Tommy Smith | Defender | 36 |
| 6 | Joe Bell | Midfielder | 27 |
| 7 | Matthew Garbett | Midfielder | 24 |
| 8 | Marko Stamenic | Midfielder | 24 |
| 10 | Sarpreet Singh | Midfielder | 27 |
| 14 | Alex Rufer | Midfielder | 29 |
| 20 | Callum McCowatt | Midfielder | 27 |
| 23 | Ryan Thomas | Midfielder | 31 |
| 25 | Lachlan Bayliss | Midfielder | 23 |
| 9 | Chris Wood | Forward | 34 |
| 11 | Elijah Just | Forward | 26 |
| 17 | Kosta Barbarouses | Forward | 36 |
| 18 | Ben Waine | Forward | 24 |
| 19 | Ben Old | Forward | 23 |
| 21 | Jesse Randall | Forward | 23 |
Source: ESPN roster. Provisional until the FIFA registration deadline. Club affiliations are not in the verified roster feed; we do not list them here.
Group G fixtures
| Opponent | Date | Match page |
|---|---|---|
| Iran | 16 Jun 2026 | New Zealand vs Iran |
| Egypt | 22 Jun 2026 | New Zealand vs Egypt |
| Belgium | 27 Jun 2026 | New Zealand vs Belgium |
FIFA World Ranking
New Zealand are ranked 85 in the FIFA Men's World Ranking , the 48th highest-ranked of the 48 teams at the tournament. Ranking as of 1 April 2026, per FIFA via Wikipedia.