Alex Paulsen has some extremely intense weeks ahead of him. First, the Lechia Gdańsk goalkeeper will fight to stay in the PKO Ekstraklasa, and then he will join the New Zealand national team, which returns to the World Cup after 16 years. Darren Bazeley announced a 26-person squad, and the goalkeeper’s name was on the list.
Alex Paulsen called up for the World Championships
New Zealand national team coach Darren Bazeley named the players who will go to the World Cup held in North America. Among the three goalkeepers was Alex Paulsen, currently playing for Lechia Gdańsk.
The 23-year-old is in Poland on loan from Bournemouth and in recent months he has been combining the fight for a place in the club with competing for a position in the national team. He competes for the number one jersey in the New Zealand team primarily with Max Crocombe.
Lechia Gdańsk is still fighting for survival
Before Paulsen focuses on the national team, he will have the most important finish of the season for Lechia. Two rounds before the end of the competition, the Gdańsk club is in the relegation zone and still has to fight to stay in the PKO Ekstraklasa.
For the goalkeeper, it will be a demanding transition from league pressure to World Cup preparations. Lechia needs points, and Paulsen can play an important role at the end of the season.
New Zealand returns to the big stage
New Zealand will be Oceania’s only representative at the world championship. For this team, it is a return to the World Cup after 16 years. The previous performance at such a tournament is remembered by, among others, Chris Wood, the captain and the biggest star of the team.
The squad included many players playing outside their home country and Australia. Foreign leagues are represented by 15 of the 26 players called up, which shows how much the team’s profile has changed since the previous World Cup appearance.
Who will New Zealand play against at the 2026 World Cup?
Before the tournament, New Zealand will play a prestigious friendly with England, scheduled for June 6. This will be an important test before the competition in Group G.
At the World Cup, Darren Bazeley’s team will face Iran in Los Angeles, followed by Egypt and Belgium in Vancouver. It’s a tough set of opponents, but for New Zealand just returning to the tournament is already a big deal.
New Zealand’s squad for the World Cup
- Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Michael Woud.
- Defenders: Tyler Bindon, Michael Boxall, Liberato Cacace, Francis De Vries, Callan Elliot, Tim Payne, Nando Pijanker, Tommy Smith, Finn Surman.
- Helpers: Lachlan Bayliss, Joe Bell, Alex Rufer, Marko Stamenic, Ryan Thomas.
- Strikers and wingers: Kosta Barbarouses, Matt Garbett, Eli Just, Callum McCowatt, Ben Old, Jesse Randall, Sapreet Singh, Ben Waine, Chris Wood.
Piala Dunia 2026
Piala Dunia FIFA 2026 akan menjadi edisi paling revolusioner dalam sejarah sepak bola dunia. Turnamen ini untuk pertama kalinya akan diselenggarakan di tiga negara sekaligus, yaitu Amerika Serikat, Kanada, dan Meksiko. Selain itu, jumlah peserta juga meningkat dari 32 menjadi 48 tim, membuka peluang lebih besar bagi negara-negara dari berbagai konfederasi untuk tampil di panggung global. Format baru ini akan menghadirkan lebih banyak pertandingan, atmosfer kompetisi yang lebih luas, serta jangkauan penonton yang semakin besar di seluruh dunia.
Dengan skala yang jauh lebih besar, FIFA menargetkan turnamen ini sebagai ajang yang tidak hanya kompetitif tetapi juga spektakuler dari sisi teknologi dan pengalaman penonton. Stadion-stadion modern di berbagai kota tuan rumah telah dipersiapkan untuk menghadirkan pertandingan berkelas dunia, didukung oleh inovasi seperti peningkatan sistem VAR dan pengalaman digital bagi fans. diprediksi akan menjadi tonggak baru dalam evolusi sepak bola internasional, memperkuat popularitas olahraga ini sekaligus menciptakan momen-momen bersejarah yang akan dikenang dalam waktu lama.
