2026 All Whites International Fixtures

Some context around some of the omissions is now in here.

Thanks always for your great work.

There are a range of reasons why 11 players from the World Cup squad are absent, including seven of the 13 who started matches and an eighth who was used as a substitute.

The tournament was always set to be the end of the road with the All Whites for Tommy Smith, while Kosta Barbarouses is yet to find a new club after leaving Western Sydney Wanderers.

Matt Garbett is still recovering from the hamstring injury he suffered on the eve of the World Cup, while Liberato Cacace has been sidelined with calf issues and Sarpreet Singh was set to be included before pulling up sore after his match at the weekend.

Michael Boxall and Tim Payne both have club fixtures during the window, with Payne also still settling in to his new life in Paraguay. Their absences, like Max Crocombe’s, will allow Bazeley to give playing time to deserving understudies.

Ryan Thomas has signalled a desire to focus on club football in the immediate future, after a busy 18 months where he began playing week-in, week-out for the first time in several seasons.

Joe Bell – who didn’t have a proper break after the World Cup, and now has a Uefa Champions League campaign to contend with on top of a title race in Norway – and Francis de Vries – in pre-season with Auckland FC, are both having their loading managed.

............Bazeley is contracted as coach until the end of the year, but wants to continue. His future in the role is set to be decided after the November international window, where the All Whites will host India in Auckland and Christchurch.

The squad for those matches is likely to feature more A-League Men players around the core group of starters, with that competition still a month away from starting.

Doesn't actually say in the article why Crocombe is missing. Weird one. Championship is stopping over the break, he isn't injured and it isn't that easy to overload a goalkeeper. 

I may have got too cute there – it's tricky covering off 18 personnel moves without writing an essay. 

Bazeley wants to use these games to give Paulsen a sustained run (he may use one to throw Woud and/or Gray a bone). Crocombe was keen to come and play a support role, but after talking it through – with Bazeley wary of taking him away from the Millwall environment when he is only starting thanks to an injury and the club has brought in competition.