Red hot Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood targets New Zealand history at World Cup

WELLINGTON – Chris Wood has fired Nottingham Forest into surprise Champions League contention and now the striker wants to score the goals to help New Zealand make history at the World Cup.

New Zealand are strong favourites to qualify from Oceania over the next week and reach the World Cup Finals for only the third time.

At their two previous appearances, in 1982 and 2010, they failed to win a match in six attempts.

But with Wood captaining the side and leading from the front, he told the local media on March 18 that the current squad can finally deliver a World Cup victory.

“That will be our goal if we’re there, to win a game and progress out of the group stages. It’s the mentality of proving it, and I believe we can. The squad is only getting bigger and better, and moving on to bigger and better clubs,” the in-form 33-year-old told Radio New Zealand.

“They’re proving around the world that they’re good and capable enough of playing in the best leagues in the world.”

Wood is enjoying the best season of his career, hitting 18 goals in the English Premier League and rubbing shoulders in the scoring charts with Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland.

His exploits have helped propel Forest into third place in the table and if they stay there, it would guarantee Champions League football.

Other New Zealanders playing in Europe include Marko Stamenic at Olympiakos in Greece, Liberato Cacace at Empoli in Italy and Matthew Garbett with NAC Breda in the Netherlands.

The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico has been expanded to 48 teams, ensuring a team from Oceania will gain automatic qualification.

To seal their place, 89th-ranked New Zealand must first beat Fiji on March 21 in Wellington