"We're going to another World Cup. I'm ecstatic," said 35-year-old winger Barbarouses, who missed out on selection for New Zealand's World Cup squad in 2010."
"This is my fifth attempt to get to a World Cup. So I'm really sort of emotional, very happy and sort of had flashbacks of the last 15 years."
New Zealand secured their place in the 2026 World Cup by defeating New Caledonia 3-0, with key contributions from veterans Michael Boxall and Kosta Barbarouses. Boxall scored his first national goal, followed by Barbarouses. Substitute Elijah Just sealed the victory with a third goal, ensuring a joyous celebration in Eden Park. This marks the All Whites' return to the World Cup finals for the first time since 2010, following a series of missed opportunities in previous qualifiers. The players celebrated their achievement, though captain Chris Wood's injury cast a slight shadow on the triumph.
Read at ESPN
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]