Mackenzie Barry

Mackenzie Barry is the Wellington Phoenix women’s team’s most capped player, having missed just six of their 100 matches, and she stood in as captain for the majority of the team’s record-breaking 2025-26 campaign.

Barry joined the Phoenix for the women’s inaugural season from New Zealand Football’s Future Ferns Domestic Programme (FFDP) after being part of the history-making New Zealand team that claimed a bronze medal at the 2018 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay.

The combative centre back went on to lead the Nix in clearances, blocks and interceptions during the 2021-22 A-League and captained the Phoenix in the absence of club skipper Lily Alfeld and vice-captain Kate Taylor.

She went on to make her Football Ferns debut against Japan in October 2022 and has been a regular in national team squads since.

Originally from New Plymouth, Barry played for Central Football and Northern Lights in the national women’s premiership before joining the Nix.

In the 22-23 A-League she was one of just three Wellington players to start all 18 of the team’s matches and was substituted just once. Barry signed a new two-year deal with the Phoenix in June 2023.

She was again an integral player for the Phoenix in the women’s team’s third season and became the first player to reach 50 games for the club in their final round match against Western Sydney Wanderers.

Barry was selected in the Football Ferns for the Paris Olympics in 2024 and she scored the team’s first goal of the tournament, opening the scoring against Canada with a rasping shot from a corner.

She started 21 of the team’s matches 23 matches the following season, only missing two games because of injury.

Barry signed on for a fifth season with the Phoenix in July 2025.

> 2025-26 season

Mackenzie Barry started all 23 of the Wellington Phoenix women’s team’s matches during their history-making campaign and stood in as captain in CJ Bott’s absence.

She signed a one-year contract extension in April before being named the winner of the Lloyd Morrison Spirit of the Phoenix award and voted by her peers into the Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) team of the season.

“This has been by far the most enjoyable and successful season of my career,” Barry said. “So, why would I want to leave?

“The Phoenix is like home to me. It’s my first professional club. I was picked, trusted and believed in when I was 19 to play consistently.

“It’s been a long journey. Some hard games and some tough seasons, but it’s all been worth it.”