Fifa World Cup: Why All Whites captain Chris Wood peaking at perfect time for Egypt clash

All that can be allayed. Wood looks sharp, fit and confident.

He might be missing some game conditioning but he’s got more than 500 senior matches in English football to fall back on, including 278 in the Premier League.

He’s fresh – the small silver lining of his tough season – and revelling in the World Cup environment, after waiting 16 years to get back to one.

A long-time New Zealand Football (NZF) staffer described Wood as “hyper-focused” - in a good way – and absolutely determined to do everything possible to make the most of this opportunity.

Another aspect is his age. At 34, there are a lot of miles on the clock and he might have lost a yard of pace from a decade ago. But age brings wisdom and his football IQ and instincts – with that supercomputer brain inside the penalty area - have maybe never been greater.

That’s a plus compared to the Wood we might have seen on this stage in 2014 or 2018.

It’s also reflected in his captaincy. Whereas in the past at times it was a burden it now sits perfectly on his shoulders.

“His leadership is shining through – off and on the field,” another member of the NZF delegation said. “You can see it in everything he does.”

The final layer is Wood’s confidence and belief. He’s always had plenty but his breakthrough 2024/25 Premier League season, where he scored 20 goals, mixed with the elite strikers and was named in the English Premier League team of the year was a transformative one.

“Well and truly,” Wood agreed as he sat with the Herald at the team’s hotel.

“I always knew and believed in myself that I could score 20 goals in a season. [But] to do it, and then show people and say to people, look, ‘I have done it’ does give you that confidence and the belief that everybody else believes in you as well. So yeah, I’ll be bringing all that into this campaign, into this World Cup.”

Wood is also driven by the pain of four years ago in Doha, Qatar, when the All Whites were one game away from appearing at the 2022 World Cup.

They dominated Costa Rica in the intercontinental playoff but lost, with the Central American team defending their 1-0 lead after a scrappy early strike by Joel Campbell.

Wood had a goal controversially ruled out by a VAR intervention and also couldn’t make the most of several other chances and admits it was probably his toughest experience in a New Zealand shirt.

“We had more than enough opportunities to deliver and we just couldn’t get it over the line,” Wood reflected. “That’s how football goes sometimes. It was a devastating night because we came so close and we were the better side but the better side doesn’t always win.”

This writer will never forget interviewing Wood in the tunnel after the match, then watching him walk away, shoulders slumped and in slight disbelief about the circumstances.

“Yeah, it was a tough one to take,” Wood recalls. “I was 30 years old, where it could have been maybe my last one. You never know how football goes when you go past 32 and things like that and how everybody sees things, or if we’d ever make it again so I’m thankful to be here.”

That is showing through in everything that he does, from the extras in training to taking time to have a coffee and a chat with a teammate, to passing on some tips to a young squad member during a practice session.

Wood remains the pre-eminent focus of the All Whites team and is the obvious reference point for opposition teams and foreign media.

He got more space than expected against Iran – especially in the first half – though was more closely marked after the interval. There are likely to be less liberties against Egypt.

In Saturday’s press conference, Wood acknowledged that the African powerhouse will pose a much greater challenge.

“This game is going to be completely different to the first game,” Wood said.

“We’ve looked at them against Belgium, they’ve looked at us against Iran and I’m sure both teams have come up with different game plans of how they want to fit the game. For us as players, it’s about bringing the same level of energy, intensity, technical ability on the pitch, and then raising it again. It was a draw, we want to get the win, and that’s what we’re going to need to.”

Wood didn’t get many chances against Iran last week – the best came midway through the first half, when he couldn’t get his shot away quick enough – but had a massive impact regardless. He led the line, linked play well, was a physical presence and managed two assists for Elijah Just, with the second a particularly precise pass.

He yearns for that first World Cup goal – in his fifth tournament appearance (including three cameos off the bench in 2010) – but also takes a team first approach, illustrated in his elation for both Just goals last week.

“Yeah, of course, it would be very special to score at a World Cup,” Wood said. “[But] it doesn’t matter who scores, as long as we get some goals. That’s a huge thing. Hopefully I can do the business, get some goals, and that will help the team out for sure.”

As he was reminded in the press conference, Wood has previously found the net against Egypt, in a 1-1 draw at the 2012 Olympics, where Mo Salah also scored for the African side.

“That was a long time ago,” Wood laughed. “The Olympics were fantastic to be a part of. So to come full circle round to here, to be playing up against Egypt in a World Cup is huge.”

Wood was also the subject of several questions directed at the Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan. He preferred not to discuss individuals on either side, though said he was aware of the threat of the striker.

“They have stars like Chris Wood in the New Zealand team,” Hassan said. “He is an important veteran and we are very prepared to face him.”

Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.

Click here to read article