Nottingham Forest striker and New Zealand captain Chris Wood has defended the decision to give FIFA’s smallest confederation, Oceania, direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup.

After a 16-year hiatus, Chris Wood has led New Zealand back to the World Cup, an impressive feat for any athlete, particularly at his age. This season, he has dazzled on the field with Nottingham Forest,

Nottingham Forest were dealt a huge blow during the international break after striker Chris Wood limped off during New Zealand's 2026 World Cup qualifier and as a result will miss Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final at Brighton.

Chris Wood believes the All Whites are capable of something “very special” at next year’s Fifa World Cup. The team completed their mission on Monday night – after a tense but ultimately emphatic 3-0 win over New Caledonia – to seal qualification to the global showpiece.

The Athletic's guide to who's qualified, how many places each confederation gets, and what stage qualification is at

Captain Chris Wood insists the All Whites are going to next year's Football World Cup to make history: 25 Mar: All Whites coach Darren Bazeley has declared the race is on