"He's going to be great around the players. He may play, he may not. But he has that experience of playing at a World Cup." That's Ricki Herbert — the man who coached New Zealand at South Africa 2010 — defending Tommy Smith's inclusion in the 2026 World Cup squad. And it's a harder argument to dismiss than the angry tweets suggest.
Smith is 36. He hasn't played for the All Whites since 2024. He currently turns out for Braintree Town in England's fifth tier — semi-professional football, not the stuff of World Cup warm-ups. Coach Darren Bazeley selected him anyway, calling him a "cultural architect" whose voice carries weight in the dressing room. Some fans called it a snub of Wellington Phoenix defender Bill Tuiloma, who had a case on form and league level alone.
There's a real precedent for this kind of pick
Australia brought Tim Cahill to Russia 2018 at 38. He played one substitute appearance in the group stage. Spain's Pepe Reina went to four World Cups between 2006 and 2018 and barely touched the pitch in any of them. Neither selection was considered a mistake in hindsight, because both players did exactly what they were brought to do — provide stability, standards, and experience that younger players couldn't manufacture on their own.
Smith was part of the All Whites squad that went unbeaten through the 2010 group stage against Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia. He started all three matches at left back. That's not just a trivia answer — it's the only time New Zealand have ever mattered at a World Cup, and he was central to it. That kind of institutional memory has a value that doesn't show up in league tables.
With squads now expanded to 26 players from 23, coaches have the room to make these calls. Herbert's logic is clean: if a player isn't going to play anyway, you may as well bring someone who contributes something beyond 90 minutes.
What this means for New Zealand's campaign
The All Whites face Iran, Egypt and Belgium in the group stage, with a genuine shot at the knockout rounds for the first time in their history. Belgium are heavy favourites to top the group, which makes the second qualifying spot a genuine battleground — and the kind of pressure situation where a settled dressing room and clear leadership matter enormously.
If New Zealand are going to pull something off, they'll need every psychological edge available. Whether Smith provides that is unverifiable until it happens. But Bazeley has made his call, Herbert backs it, and Smith has 56 caps and a 2010 unbeaten group stage to his name. That's not nothing — even from the fifth tier of English football.
