BREAKING: No World Cup for Pirates striker

An Orlando Pirates star will not be going to the 2026 FIFA World Cup after he was dropped from the squad.

It has now been confirmed that Pirates striker Andre de Jong has been left out of New Zealand national football team's World Cup squad.

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The omission comes as somewhat of a surprise, as De Jong was called up by New Zealand during the March international break.

Admittedly, the 29-year-old has had limited game time at Pirates, playing a combined total of just 57 minutes since the March international break, according to Transfermarkt.

At the World Cup, New Zealand have been drawn in Group G alongside Iran, Egypt, and Belgium.

Chris Wood, who plays for Nottingham Forest, made the cut despite an injury-riddled season, while former SuperSport United defender Michael Boxall was also included.

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New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley said in an official statement that they had assessed 55 players before trimming the squad down to 26.

“We have spent the last few years building to this moment and tracking around 55 players in contention to make it on to the plane to Canada, Mexico, the USA," said Bazeley.

“As a coaching team, we have selected a squad that we feel will put us in the best place to perform, a blend of really exciting young talent and experienced players to maximise our chances of winning games and getting out of our group.

“This is never going to be an easy process, and the responsibility isn’t lost on us, but I’m confident we have landed on the best possible squad to face IR Iran, Egypt, Belgium, and beyond."