New Zealand seal return to World Cup stage with win over New Caledonia

AUCKLAND – New Zealand qualified for the 2026 World Cup with a 3-0 win over New Caledonia on March 24 as veterans Michael Boxall and Kosta Barbarouses scored in a second-half burst to help the All Whites return to the Finals for the first time since 2010.

Boxall, 36, scored his first goal for New Zealand in his 55th international with a header in the 61st minute, before Barbarouses volleyed home five minutes later to send a crowd of more than 25,000 into ecstasy at Eden Park.

Substitute Elijah Just added the third goal in the 80th minute to ensure New Zealand advance to their third World Cup, following the 1982 and 2010 editions.

New Zealand missed out on the last three World Cups after defeats in intercontinental play-offs.

However, with Oceania given a berth at the Finals for the first time, the All Whites were a shoo-in as the region’s dominant team.

New Zealand became the second team through to the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Japan qualifying with a home win over Bahrain on March 20.

“We’re going to another World Cup. I’m ecstatic,” said 35-year-old winger Barbarouses, who missed out on selection for the squad who went to South Africa in 2010.

“This is my fifth attempt to get to a World Cup. So I’m really sort of emotional, very happy and sort of had flashbacks of the last 15 years. I’m very happy to contribute and help the team get over the line.”

New Zealand’s players put on white T-shirts emblazoned with “Qualified” and sprayed champagne on each other. The celebrations were tempered slightly with an apparent hip injury to captain Chris Wood who limped off early in the second half.

Ranked 152nd in the world and dominated by amateur footballers, New Caledonia battled hard to keep the match scoreless for more than 60 minutes of the Oceania final. The French territory will have another chance to qualify via the intercontinental play-offs.

“We knew it was going to be hard against New Zealand on their home soil. We’ve got time to think about the play-offs for 2026,” said New Caledonia coach Johann Sidaner.

New Zealand scored quickly in their 7-0 win over Fiji in the Oceania semi-finals last week, but they had to wait on March 24 as early chances went begging.

Boxall bounced a header over the bar in the 14th minute, while Marko Stamenic had two headers saved on the line six minutes later. Wood sent a third header pinging off the right post and a fourth flying over the bar late in the half.

Home fans grew restless as the game remained locked in the second half, but New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley’s substitutions ultimately paid off.

Francis de Vries came off the bench to produce the corner that set up Boxall’s goal. Wood’s replacement, Barbarouses, latched onto a through-ball from his Wellington Phoenix teammate Tim Payne and volleyed over the rushing goalkeeper Rocky Nyikeine. Barbarouses followed up by laying off the pass that set up Just’s strike.

While speaking of his joy, Barbarouses also apologised to his four-year-old daughter Luna for missing her birthday.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for your birthday today, but I’m sure I’ve more than made it up to you,” he said.

Over in Asia, coach Herve Renard said Saudi Arabia are in a “tough sprint” to reach the 2026 World Cup but he is not expecting any favours from already-qualified Japan on March 25.

The Saudis trailed second-placed Australia by a point with three games remaining in Group C in the third round of Asian qualifying. The top two teams advance directly to the World Cup, while the third- and fourth-placed sides go into another qualifying round.

Renard is not expecting Japan to take their foot off the gas when they host his Saudi side in Saitama.

“It’s a tough sprint for the second position. Concerning Japan, we know they are disciplined. We know their philosophy, so there is no doubt they will play this game at 100 per cent,” the French coach said on March 24.

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said he would shuffle his pack, with striker Ayase Ueda and midfielder Hidemasa Morita having already returned to their clubs. Brighton & Hove Albion’s Kaoru Mitoma is a doubt after missing training on March 24.

Japan captain Wataru Endo said “who wants to win the game will be more important than tactics”.

“They are in a tough spot and they need to get a result, they want the three points. We need to want it more than them. We’re aiming to win the World Cup, and we need to give everything in this game.”
REUTERS, AFP