New Zealand's Darren Bazeley becomes first coach to manage in all FIFA tournaments

Darren Bazeley, the head coach of New Zealand's national football team, has achieved a unique milestone by becoming the first coach in history to manage a national team in every FIFA competition. He reached this distinction during New Zealand's recent match against Iran in the 2026 World Cup.

Bazeley, born in the UK in 1972, began his football career in New Zealand before transitioning to coaching. He started with the youth academy of New Zealand Knights and Waitakere United, eventually joining the national federation's technical staff. He took charge of the U-17 team in 2012, leading them to their first FIFA tournament, the U-17 World Cup in the UAE in 2013.

His experience expanded to the senior national team, the All Whites, and he also coached the U-20 team in multiple World Cups (2015, 2017, 2023). Bazeley guided the U-20s to the knockout stages in 2015 and 2017, facing teams like Portugal and the United States. He also managed the U-23 team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where New Zealand secured a win against Guinea but did not advance from the group stage.

Now, Bazeley is completing his FIFA tournament portfolio at the 2026 World Cup. The team drew their opening match against Iran 2-2 and is set to face Egypt and Belgium in their upcoming group games. His journey highlights a remarkable breadth of experience across different age groups and major international tournaments.