The big names and rising stars missing from All Whites World Cup squad

Thursday, 14 May 2026

The 36-year-old veteran has been selected from English fifth-tier club Braintree Town to compete at his second FIFA World Cup, with Darren Bazeley insisting his experience will be vital to the All Whites.

All Whites coach Darren Bazeley was able to make 26 players’ dreams come true when he named his squad for the FIFA World Cup, but it also meant heartbreak for several who came close.

A mix of form, fitness, competition for places and timing ultimately shaped the final cut, with some players undone by inconsistent club seasons, others by injuries or depth in key positions.

Luke Brooke-Smith

The 17-year-old dynamo showed his potential with a couple of match-winning cameos for the Phoenix, but after a breakout campaign that earned him an All Whites cap last year, Brooke-Smith played fewer minutes this season than in 2024-25, with all 19 appearances coming as a second-half substitute. His time will come, with plenty more opportunities ahead, but needs to establish himself at the Phoenix first.

James McGarry

Part of the previous All Whites squad only because Liberato Cacace was injured, McGarry has enjoyed regular game time since returning to the A-League with the Brisbane Roar, starting all 24 games he was available. But he was always facing an uphill battle to keep his place in a full-strength national team, with leading left backs Cacace and Francis de Vries both key figures and left winger Ben Old now able to provide reliable cover.

Owen Parker-Price

A former age-group international developed through the Olé Football Academy system, Parker-Price came back on New Zealand Football’s radar after joining promotion-chasing Swedish second-tier club Örgryte last year, earning a maiden All Whites call-up for matches against Poland and Norway. Örgryte have since been promoted to the Allsvenskan, but Parker-Price missed out to in-form Newcastle Jets midfielder Lachlan Bayliss, who edged him in the final selection call.

Logan Rogerson

After scoring nine goals and playing a key role in Auckland FC’s early success last season, right winger Rogerson has struggled to back it up, drifting in and out of the starting XI and scoring just once in 26 appearances. He featured off the bench in the All Whites’ last two matches, but needed stronger club form to justify selection in a position where players such as Eli Just and Callum McCowatt are performing at a much higher level in Europe.

Bill Tuiloma

The biggest omission, sacrificed for Tommy Smith’s veteran leadership despite offering far more on the field. After struggling for minutes in Major League Soccer, the 47-cap international joined the Wellington Phoenix in search of regular game time. But while his experience, versatility and set-piece threat ticked plenty of boxes, his inconsistent form in the A-League wasn’t enough to convince Bazeley to take Tuiloma as the fifth centre back. The writing was on the wall when he failed to get on the field against Finland or Chile.

Nik Tzanev

With loads of English Football League experience, Tzanev loomed as a prime contender for the third-choice goalkeeper role after Auckland FC dropped Michael Woud in January and Oli Sail suffered a season-ending knee injury in his first start. But a mid-season move to Huddersfield Town hurt his case. While Woud finished the season strongly with Auckland, Tzanev was largely confined to the bench. Bazeley said it was a “close” call between the two shotstoppers but Woud’s game time ultimately gave him the edge.

Who else do you think was unlucky not to be selected? Let us know in the comments.