CHRIS WOOD THE SECOND

Wood repeats Mondragon’s feat

New Zealand’s Chris Wood, playing in the match against Iran (2-2), became the second player in history to return to the World Cup 16 years after his previous participation.
Wood made his debut at the tournament in 2010, after which he missed the 2014, 2018, and 2022 editions (where his country did not qualify), and now, after such a long time, has waited for his next chance.
Before Wood, the only player to skip three editions between his World Cup appearances was Colombian goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon. He appeared in 1998 and 2014, missing the 2002, 2006 and 2010 editions.
However, Mondragon remains the World Cup record holder for the longest return. His two consecutive matches were separated by 15 years and 364 days, while Wood’s gap was 15 years and 357 days.