All Whites veteran Kosta Barbarouses ends long goal wait to ease doubt around World Cup place
Tuesday, 31 March 2026
Kosta Barbarouses ended two long waits as he delivered a performance that has eased any doubt about his place in the All Whites’ squad for the FIFA World Cup in June at Eden Park on Monday night.
Before he scored the first goal in New Zealand’s 4-1 win over Chile, which came after he had drawn the two yellow-card offences that led to Dario Osorio being sent off for the visitors in the 27th minute, it had been 11 weeks since the veteran forward had found the back of the net.
He has only scored four times in 21 matches for A-League Men wooden-spooners Western Sydney Wanderers this season, with two of them coming from the penalty spot.
Combine that club form with his track record in matches against teams from outside Oceania over the course of his 16-year All Whites career – one goal in 47 matches prior to Monday night – and there was reason to wonder if he might make it on the plane.
But after his first such goal in 14 years helped produce the country’s first-ever win over a South American nation, at the 20th time of trying, he will return across the Tasman feeling more secure in his place.
Barbarouses scored the first goal the last time he started for the All Whites at Eden Park, in their 3-0 Oceania World Cup qualifying final win over New Caledonia just over a year ago – his eighth goal against Pacific island opposition in 26 matches, where the hardest job in football tends to be easier.
After that win booked them a place in North America later this year, he revealed his red card in their previous World Cup qualifying playoff, against Costa Rica in 2022, had weighed heavily on his mind: “I think about it most nights, to be honest. No joke – it crosses my mind at some point, quite frequently”.
As a 20-year-old, having debuted as a teenager as part of a second-string XI in a dead rubber against Fiji in 2008, but also having not added to that lone cap, Barbarouses missed out on a place in the All Whites’ squad for the 2010 World Cup.
Now he’s on the verge of making “a long, long dream of mine” a reality, saying after the Chile win: “I feel like we’re almost there and I’m giving it everything. I’m not leaving any stone unturned. I’m just driven and determined to get there.
“But not just that. I want to have a good impact and I like to lead by example and I think I did that today.”
On his goalscoring record against teams from outside Oceania – a group the All Whites’ World Cup opponents Belgium, Egypt and Iran are all a part of – Barbarouses was somehwat defensive.
“To be honest, it's only like the last couple years that I've sort of played up front for the national team. I've played wing, wing back, I’ve played as an eight, a long time ago for a little while, so do you judge it on goals?
“I think, obviously, I would have loved to score even a few more. You can also affect games without scoring too – but I would love to get more.”
There was no better time to have got a second – to go with his first, in a 2-2 draw with El Salvador in May 2012 – than in the last match before coach Darren Bazeley selects his 26-man World Cup squad.
All going to plan, English Premier League Chris Wood will start up front at the World Cup and play 90 minutes, with his return from a lengthy knee injury layoff imminent.
That will leave Barbarouses and fellow understudy Ben Waine vying for scratch minutes at best, unless a nightmare scenario unfolds around Wood.
A year ago Barbarouses had the edge on his younger team-mate and fellow Wellington Phoenix product, getting the nod to come on when Wood went down against New Caledonia. He also got the first start in the two international windows where both men were present – against Ivory Coast last June and Colombia last November.
Bazeley picking Waine to start in this month’s first match – a 2-0 loss to Finland – suggested the pecking order had changed, but Barbarouses’ stand-out performance against Chile might have tilted things back in his favour should either of them be needed in June.
Waine did come off the bench to net what his second goal in 21 matches against teams from outside Oceania and his ninth in 30 overall and now heads back to England to play for Port Vale in an FA Cup quarterfinal away to Premier League giants Chelsea on Sunday (kickoff 4.15am NZ time).
Aside from his goal and his expert foul-drawing, Barbarouses’ ability to lead the All Whites’ press stood out, as did his quick reactions and movement whenever they started to build – or launch – an attack. His habit of peeling out to the right edge of the box as moves developed led to him setting up Jesse Randall to score.
The Wellington product turned 36 in February and is set to be the second-oldest player in the All Whites’ World Cup squad, behind only tireless centre back Michael Boxall.
Asked how he does it, Barbarouses replied: “I think if you start to think and believe you're old, then you are. I want to keep going as long as I can. I don't even think about age.
“When my body tells me it's time, it'll tell me, but it's telling me now that I'm 21, so I want to keep that going.”
Bazeley said on Tuesday: “Kosta really did remind everybody who he is.
“He's very intelligent with his positioning out of possession and his work-rate.
“I was so pleased when he scored. It was exactly what he needed and a great moment for him.
“We've got two players both on the score sheet that can continue supporting us in that forward role – hopefully supporting Woodsy – when needed.'