The squad has been named for the OFC Men’s U-16 Championship, the qualifying tournament for the men’s FIFA U-17 World Cup 2027. 

Taking place in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, from 12 July, Aotearoa New Zealand has been drawn in Group B at the tournament alongside Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu. 

Head coach Martin Bullock has named a 21-person squad to defend the title the team currently holds, with 14 players based domestically and seven overseas in Australia and England. 

The full squad is: 

Ethan AMYES - Wellington Phoenix, NZL (New Zealand Performance Academy Aotearoa) 
Daniel ANSTISS - Auckland United, NZL (Long Bay College) 
Tristan BANCROFT - Wellington Phoenix, NZL (New Zealand Performance Academy Aotearoa) 
Caleb BROWN - Wellington Phoenix, NZL (Paraparaumu College) 
Luke CARTER - Western Springs, NZL (Avondale College) 
Zach CASHMORE - Wellington Phoenix, NZL (Scots College) 
Jesus Santiago CASTILLO - Melville United, NZL (Hamilton Boys' High School) 
Jack CLEGG - Wellington Phoenix, NZL (New Zealand Performance Academy Aotearoa) 
Zane DONAGHY - Bristol Rovers, ENG (Abbeywood Community School) 
Preston FAVA - Queensland Football, AUS (Robina State High School) 
Vasilios KASTRINAKIS - Wellington Phoenix, NZL (Hutt International Boys' School) 
Rylan KUMAR - Auckland United, NZL (St Kentigern College) 
Reuben LEE SANG - Auckland United, NZL (Westlake Boys High School) 
William MARTIN - Lions FC, AUS (Ipswich Grammar School) 
Cruz PIETERSEN - Wellington Phoenix, NZL (New Zealand Performance Academy Aotearoa) 
London RIDGE - Wellington Phoenix, NZL (Wellington College) 
Jacob ROWE - Leyton Orient, ENG (Oaks Park High School) 
Keigo SHIMOKAWA - Melbourne Victory, AUS (Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School) 
Jackson SKINNER – Brisbane City FC, AUS (Brisbane Boys' College) 
Ben TRENBERTH - Wellington Phoenix, NZL (New Zealand Performance Academy Aotearoa) 
Davi VALLE DOS SANTOS - Macarthur Bulls FC, AUS (Matraville Sports High School) 

“This is a strong group, so I’m looking forward to getting them together in Papua New Guinea to challenge ourselves at the tournament,” says head coach Martin Bullock. 

“Having just returned from the All Whites camp at the FIFA World Cup, it is exciting to see the next generation of Kiwi talent emerge and begin their journey to push to reach the top level of the game.” 

Aotearoa New Zealand will begin their OFC Men’s U-16 Championship campaign against Solomon Islands on 13 July, followed by Tahiti on 16 July and Vanuatu on 19 July. 

All games will be played at Sir Hubert Murray Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, kicking off at 6pm NZST. 

Article added: Thursday 02 July 2026