After undergoing surgery on his left knee in December, the 34-year-old striker returned to action for Nottingham Forest last month before being included in New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley's squad for the 12 June to 20 July (AEST) finals in North and Central America.

New Zealand's record scorer with 45 goals in 88 appearances, Wood said he had moved past the recovery phase with his knee and was looking forward to locking horns with Iran, Egypt and Belgium at the FIFA World Cup.

"I'm fully back to full fitness. I've been playing games now for over a month-and-a-half, so I feel good, feel up to speed, which is nice, and ready to continue to attack the off-season," he said.

"I'm just happy to be back firing both for Forest and for the national team coming into this World Cup period.

"And it's just given me that hunger to strive and achieve more, definitely."

Wood and defender Tommy Smith are the only players in the squad who represented New Zealand at its most recent FIFA World Cup appearance, when it was hosted by South Africa in 2010.

Then aged 18, Wood came off the bench in the group matches against Italy, Slovakia and Paraguay. New Zealand bowed out with three draws but won acclaim for going through unbeaten in its second FIFA World Cup and first since 1982.

Wood says the current squad is completely different, much more a technical, ball-playing side versus the "run-through-brick-walls" players of 2010, and he is confident it can progress from the group stage.

"That's our aim, and then build from there. We're under no illusion it's going to be tough, but we think we've got the quality in our dressing room to be able to do that," he said.

New Zealand kicks off its campaign against Iran on 16 June (AEST) in Los Angeles, a match that will be in the spotlight after the United States and Israel's military attacks against the Middle East nation.

While Iran's preparations have been disrupted by the conflict, Wood said it would be no pushover.

"I believe they're 21st, 22nd in the world, so no mugs in that sense," he said.

"So they're going to be tough to beat and tough to perform against.

"I know the [New Zealand] coaching staff is doing all they can to do the analytic side of it for [Iran]. And we'll be ready on and off the pitch for them."