CHRIS Wood is confident New Zealand could end Argentina's World Cup hopes if they two sides meet in November's Intercontinental Play-Off.

Clarets striker Wood is away with the All Whites this week as they face Japan in a friendly on Friday at the end of a training camp in the country.

But Anthony Hudson's side will have one eye on on events in the final two rounds of South American qualifying, with New Zealand set to face the side who finish fifth in that section in a two-legged play-off next month.

Incredibly it is Lionel Messi and Argentina who currently sit fifth with two games to go, but Wood said the All Whites don't fear the attacking talents of La Albiceleste, and are confident of upstaging them if they do end up facing Jorge Sampaoli's side for a place in Russia 2018.

"I don’t really mind who we get. At the end of the day, if they are fifth, they are there for a reason," Wood said of the prospect of a showdown with Argentina.

"Yes they should be up there with Brazil in the top two but if they are fifth, they are there for a reason. They are obviously not clicking or gelling as they need and it does give us an opportunity to upstage them or turn them over.

"I do not rule us out at all, no matter who we play, if it is Argentina, Peru whoever it is, we will definitely give them a good game."

Brazil have run away with South American qualifying and they have a 10 point cushion of second place Uruguay, who are a further points clear of Columbia in third.

But only six points separate Uruguay in second and Paraguay in seventh, with Chile currently in sixth and set to miss out on the World Cup.

Peru are ahead of Argentina in fourth on goals scored, but the two nations meet in Buenos Aires in the early hours of Friday morning before Argentina conclude qualifying with a difficult trip to Ecuador and the altitude of Quito.

Wood was part of New Zealand's squad as an 18-year-old in 2010 when the All Whites last qualified for the World Cup, coming off the bench in all three games.

"It’s right up there, it’s in the top three," Wood said of that World Cup experience.

"It’s something I strive to get back to one day, it’s very difficult for a nation like us to get there but if we do get there it means so much.

"We have had great games since then to show that we are capable of doing that."