Chris Wood of New Zealand celebrates his goal with Ben Old of New Zealand. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
All Whites v Vanuatu
Kick-off: 7:30pm Friday 15 November
FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
Analysis - Every nation has a peak men's footballer moment. A place in time when one individual's performance was and remains unmatched. Northern Ireland had George Best in the late 60s, Romania had Gheorghe Hagi in the mid-90s while Liberia had George Weah from that same era.
For New Zealand, that honour has long been held by Wynton Rufer, circa 1992-1994.
During that period Rufer spearheaded an impressive Werder Bremen side to UEFA Cup Winners Cup, German Cup and Bundesliga glory. He was joint top scorer of the 1993-94 UEFA Champions League - outdoing the likes of Hristo Stoichkov, Jurgen Klinsmann and Romario.
Eventually, someone has to come along and topple the king. Wales had Ryan Giggs, but then came Gareth Bale. Portugal had Eusebio, but then came Cristiano Ronaldo. Argentina had Diego Maradona, but then came Lionel Messi. Now, New Zealand have Chris Wood, vintage 2024. So should he be considered the best New Zealand has ever had?
Nottingham Forest's New Zealand striker Chris Wood celebrates after scoring. Photo: AFP
With eight goals in 11 games this season, the 32-year-old is second only to Erling Haaland in the Premier League scoring charts. He is joined by Bryan Mbuemo of Brentford and Liverpool's Mo Salah on eight goals, although each have scored one more penalty than the Kiwi.
Such form has seen Wood named Premier League Player of the Month for October - the first New Zealander to ever achieve that feat. Such form has helped rocket his Nottingham Forest team into a lofty fifth position - not bad for a side which narrowly avoided relegation last term.
Wood also played a key role in that survival story, netting 14 goals to help keep Forest above the precipice. That was the fifth time Wood had reached double digits in the Premier League for a season and he's now well on his way to six, putting himself in esteemed company.
It's been a long time coming for Wood, but he is finally showcasing the level of ability many have always known he possesses. A transfer to Newcastle United in January 2022 was supposed to be his step up. However, his time at St James' Park was disappointing, ultimately leading to his move to Forest, initially on loan in January 2023. That move has been reigniting for Wood, who scored a hat-trick against his former employers at Newcastle last Boxing Day.
Wood has been slept on as a Premier League force for some time and his resurgence has seen him finally get his flowers from high-profile pundits like Roy Keane, Alan Shearer and Ian Wright. It also coincides with a renewed influence from big, strong and powerful centre-forwards such as Haaland or Swedish powerhouse Viktor Gyokeres.
Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest celebrates. Photo: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
So is he the peak New Zealand footballer? There have been recent false dawns. Ryan Thomas was tipped to be a star, as was Sarpreet Singh, following moves to big European sides PSV and Bayern Munich. Unlike Wood, both have been blighted by unfortunate injury issues. Then there are the defensive stalwarts such as Winston Reid or Ryan Nelsen, but neither have had the consistent impact Wood has.
Then there's Rufer. The current New Zealand G.O.A.T. It's easy to suggest his success in Europe and a domestic title make him the superior player. However, the Premier League of today is vastly different to the Bundesliga of the early 90s. Some would argue, many will agree, it is of a far higher calibre.
But perhaps the area where Wood can have the edge over Rufer will be on show in Hamilton and Auckland this international break. Wood is New Zealand's record international goalscorer with 36 goals from 78 games. He will be looking to add to that tally when New Zealand take on Vanuatu and Samoa in World Cup Qualifiers over the weekend, including a return to where he started his senior career in the Waikato at Hamilton's FMG Stadium.
Wynton Rufer playing for the All Whites against his former German club Werder Bremen, at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland in 1994. Photo: Photosport
Rufer, meanwhile, scored 12 goals in just 23 games. During his heyday period, Rufer went six years without playing for the All Whites due to club's being unwilling to release him. That has never been an issue for Wood and if he can fire New Zealand to a first World Cup since 2010, he, and potentially Tommy Smith, would become the only players to feature at two World Cups for New Zealand, cementing his status as an All Whites great.
At that point, come 2026, we might be able to comfortably call Chris Wood New Zealand's greatest ever player. Until then, Kiwi football fans can enjoy the continued rise of one of their own.
