Chris Wood led New Zealand to a dominant 3-0 victory over Tahiti in their opening match of the Group B action at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Oceania Qualifiers held in Port Vila. This match marked the team’s return to the VFF Freshwater Stadium for the first time since their triumph in the OFC Men’s Nations Cup in June, with coach Darren Bazeley’s squad continuing their strong performance from nearly four months ago.
The All Whites struck early, with Elijah Just scoring just two minutes into the game with an impressive left-footed shot that soared into the net. Wood, who had recently scored for Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League, added to the scoreline by heading a corner into the net in the 68th minute, marking his 35th international goal.
With a comfortable two-goal lead, Bazeley opted for substitutions, introducing Kostas Barbarouses and Storm Roux into the match. Ben Waine capped off the victory by netting a final goal in the 89th minute, ensuring New Zealand walked away with all three points from this encounter.