Paris Olympics 2024: Football Ferns name squad, no room for Hannah Wilkinson

Hannah Wilkinson scores for New Zealand at the Fifa World Cup. Photo / Michael Craig

Striker Hannah Wilkinson has missed out on the Football Ferns Olympic squad named for Paris today.

Stand-in coach Michael Mayne has revealed his 18-strong squad which includes 10 first-time Games call-ups.

Wilkinson scored the match-winner in the Ferns’ opening win at the 2023 Fifa World Cup last year, a second half strike in the team’s 1-0 win victory Norway. She also got on the scoresheet more recently in a friendly win over Thailand in April.

Meikayla Moore has been named in the squad after being omitted from the 2023 World Cup roster.

“Paris 2024 is a pinnacle event, and I am excited to get to France, assemble the team, and get to work,” Mayne said.

Paris bound 🇫🇷✈️

Your Women’s Football team selected for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games 🌿#TheFernIsAllOfUs pic.twitter.com/mHzqXfatTJ

— The New Zealand Team (@TheNZTeam) July 3, 2024

“I am clear on the outcomes we want to achieve, and we will be doing all we can to collectively accomplish those goals.

”With this tournament having smaller squads than something like the Fifa Women’s World Cup we have had to make some tough decisions, but through our selection process, we have selected 18 players we believe can achieve the outcomes we want and are prepared for the challenges we will face.

”It is great to be able to give over half the squad their Olympic debuts, and I know it will be a proud moment for all of the players and staff to wear the fern in France.

“There is no doubt this can be a special event for us, and we will draw on the uniqueness of representing the entire New Zealand Olympic team to give us the edge we will need.”

New Zealand head into the tournament with a record of six wins, two defeats and one draw in 2024, scoring 37 goals and conceding eight.

At Paris 2024 they have been drawn in Group A alongside reigning champions Canada, Colombia, and hosts France.

They kick off the tournament on July 26 (NZT) vs Canada in Saint-Etienne, before facing Colombia on July 29 and France on August 1, both in Lyon.

The Football Ferns full squad is:

Mackenzie Barry* (16 caps) Wellington Phoenix FC, New Zealand

CJ Bott (46 caps) Leicester City, England

Katie Bowen (109 caps) Inter Milan, Italy

Milly Clegg* (8 caps) Racing Louisville FC, USA

Victoria Esson (23 caps) Rangers FC, Scotland

Macey Fraser* (5 caps) Utah Royals, USA

Ally Green* (14 caps) AGF, Denmark

Jacqui Hand* (27 caps) Unattached

Grace Jale* (31 caps) Unattached

Katie Kitching* (10 caps) Sunderland AFC, England

Anna Leat (18 caps) Aston Villa FC, England

Meikayla Moore (65 caps) Unattached

Gabi Rennie (37 caps) Åland United, Finland

Ali Riley (162 caps) Angel City FC, USA

Indiah-Paige Riley* (24 caps) PSV Vrouwen, Netherlands

Malia Steinmetz* (31 caps) FC Nordsjælland, Denmark

Rebekah Stott (102 caps) Melbourne City FC, Australia

Kate Taylor* (16 caps) Unattached

*First time being involved in an Olympic campaign

In addition, Claudia Bunge (HB Koge, Denmark), Michaela Foster (Unattached), Annalie Longo (Wellington Phoenix FC, New Zealand), and Murphy Sheaff (Kansas State University, USA) have been named as travelling reserves.