When it comes to consecutive appearances at the FIFA U-20 World Cup™ none of the nations heading to South America can match New Zealand’s remarkable qualification run.
Since Australia’s departure almost two decades ago, New Zealand have dominated in Oceania, winning seven of the last eight continental tournaments in which they entered (they didn’t participate in 2014).
That has seen the Junior All Whites consistently stride the global stage, with Chile 2025 marking a seventh straight U-20 World Cup outing.
But it has been far from an easy ride to translate continental conquests into international impressions. At each of the past four editions, the nation has advanced to the Round of 16 but it’s there where their adventure ended on each occasion.
Having blazed through qualification at last year’s OFC U-19 Men’s Championship, where they won all five matches without conceding a single goal, hopes are high that the current crop can progress deep into the latter stages of the World Cup.
New Zealand’s Group A fixtures
27 September
Chile-New Zealand (20:00 local time, Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos)
30 September
Egypt-New Zealand (17:00 local time, Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos)
3 October
New Zealand-Japan (20:00 local time, Estadio Elias Figueroa Brander)
The coach: Chris Greenacre
Born in England, where he started his professional playing career with Manchester City, Greenacre hung up his boots at the age of 34 after a three-year stint with A-League outfit Wellington Phoenix.
Having immediately transitioned into coaching, he retains his association with the club to this day where he splits duties as the national U-20 head coach with a role as Wellington’s Head of Pro Development.
At the helm of the Junior All Whites since January 2024, Greenacre oversaw the team’s World Cup qualification with a buccaneering showing at last year’s OFC U-19 Men’s Championship.
Star player: Tyler Bindon
One of the highest-rated young defenders to have come out of New Zealand in a long time, 20-year Bindon is already a seasoned senior international with close to two dozen All Whites appearances under his belt.
Son of Football Ferns great and current assistant coach, Jenny Bindon, the central defender was also eligible for the USA but told FIFA last year it was a ‘no-brainer’ to don the famous white shirt of New Zealand.
On the books of English Premier League side Nottingham Forest, he’s spending the season on loan at Championship outfit Sheffield United where he has become a regular part of the Blades’ back four.
Composed, comfortable on the ball and excellent in one-on-one situations, Bindon will be a vital part of the Junior All Whites campaign in Chile.
One to watch: Luke Brooke-Smith
Called into the senior national team for two fixtures against Australia in September, starlet Brooke-Smith is very much a player on the rise.
Also eligible for this year’s FIFA U-17 World Cup™ and currently in the first-team set-up at Wellington Phoenix, it is set to be a busy couple of months for the explosive attacking threat who is capable of playing on either wing or through the middle.
Possessing blistering pace, dizzying dribbling and a rocket of a right foot, the 17-year-old already showed his quality in Chile when he scored a thundering goal against the U-20 World Cup hosts in a June friendly in Santiago.
