Chris Wood led New Zealand to a commanding 3-0 victory over Tahiti in their opening match of Group B at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Oceania Qualifiers held in Port Vila. This marked the team’s return to the VFF Freshwater Stadium, where they had previously triumphed in the OFC Men’s Nations Cup in June.
The match began explosively for New Zealand, with Elijah Just scoring within just two minutes, delivering a stunning left-footed strike that found the top corner of the net. Wood, who had recently scored for Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League, extended the lead with a header in the 68th minute. The unmarked captain connected with a corner kick to notch his 35th international goal.
With a comfortable two-goal lead, Coach Darren Bazeley made strategic changes, introducing Kostas Barbarouses and Storm Roux into the game. Ben Waine put the finishing touches on the match by scoring a third goal in the 89th minute, ensuring New Zealand secured all three points with relative ease.