Tommy Smith, 36, laced up his boots in San Diego last week not as a fading club defender, but as a veteran preparing to face Mo Salah and Kevin De Bruyne on the world’s biggest football stage. The Braintree Town player has been named in New Zealand’s 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup — 16 years after becoming a national hero during the All Whites’ undefeated 2010 campaign. Now, he’s chasing redemption, legacy, and what he calls the "crowning glory of his career."
Smith, born in Macclesfield but raised in New Zealand, embodies the emotional pull of representing a nation that shaped his youth. Selected by head coach Darren Bazeley, he’s one of the elder statesmen in a squad aiming to go further than their historic but heartbreaking 2010 run, when New Zealand became the only team not to lose a match — drawing with Slovakia, Paraguay, and defending champions Italy — yet still missed the knockout stage by a single point. This time, with expanded rules allowing the best third-placed teams to advance, Smith believes they have a real shot: "The goal all along is to get out of the group stage, make it to the knockout phase."
New Zealand’s journey begins June 16 in Los Angeles against Iran, with Group G also featuring Belgium and Egypt. Based in San Diego, the squad has already faced Haiti in a warm-up match at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium. Smith, who spent last season with Auckland City — finishing as league leaders before losing in the A-League semi-finals — returned to England in August to play for Braintree. There, his season ended in disappointment as the club was relegated to the sixth tier of English football, finishing second-bottom of the National League. To make matters worse, players, including Smith, have gone unpaid for the past month as the club seeks investors to settle its debts.
Yet, amid uncertainty at his club, Smith finds clarity on the international stage. "I'm 36 years old now, and realistically this is not going to happen again for me as a player, so I'm just trying to embrace every moment, enjoy it, contribute as much as I possibly can," he told BBC Radio Essex. His presence offers both leadership and a bridge between generations, mentoring young All Whites hungry to prove themselves against the world’s elite.
As the tournament looms, Smith remains open about his future. Out of contract and weighing his next move, he’s allowing himself the rare luxury of not looking ahead. For now, the focus is on one final stand — not in the quiet of Essex, but under the California sun, where dreams are still very much alive.