Wood can help New Zealand break new ground at World Cup, says coach Bazeley

With veteran striker Chris Wood leading from the front, New Zealand head coach Darren Bazeley is confident the All Whites can break new ground on their return to the World Cup next year.

At 18, Wood was the youngest member of New Zealand's last World Cup squad at South Africa in 2010 and may be the oldest on Bazeley's roster at the 2026 finals in North America.

The 33-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down, though, starting Nottingham Forest's Premier League campaign with a double against Brentford after banging in 20 goals last season.

The New Zealand skipper is in line to be the focal point of the All Whites' attack in 2026, and Bazeley has faith he will deliver when the moment arises.

But it will be up to Wood's teammates to produce those moments by providing the same level of service he enjoys at club level, he told Reuters in an interview.

"That's the challenge we set the players," said the 52-year-old Briton.

"We've got this Premier League goal-scorer in our team. He needs service, he needs delivery, and the guys need to get that for him to go and score his goals like he does.

"Chris is an outstanding finisher. Most of his goals are one-touch. And that's what he's been like his whole career.

"But yeah, for us, what he's doing at that level consistently is not just inspiring for young footballers and our team, but also for the whole country."

With 44 goals from 84 internationals, the burly Wood is New Zealand's all-time highest scorer.

He will hope to become the small soccer nation's fifth player to score at a World Cup following Steve Wooddin (1982), Steve Sumner (1982), Shane Smeltz (2010) and Winston Reid (2010).

The service Wood will need in 2026 may come from a familiar but long-absent face in the All Whites set-up.