New Zealand enters the 2026 World Cup with a 26-man roster just like every other country in the tournament. However, eight of those players weren’t born in New Zealand, and they are more than ready to give everything for the All Whites jersey.
While that sounds like a high number, New Zealand isn’t the national team with the most foreign-born players on its World Cup roster. Take Tunisia, for example, which features several players born in other countries, particularly across Europe.
Among New Zealand’s foreign-born players is veteran defender Tommy Smith, who has earned 56 caps with the national team. Born in Macclesfield, England, in 1990, Smith started his youth career there with Crewe Alexandra.
The 8 All Whites players born overseas
The majority of New Zealand’s foreign-born World Cup roster spots are filled by players from the United Kingdom, especially England. The reason behind this connection is deep family ties, with UK transplants making up 14.6% of New Zealand’s foreign-born population according to the 2023 census.
- Tommy Smith (England)
- Joe Bell (England)
- Matthew Garbett (England)
- Finn Surman (Wales)
- Callan Elliot (Scotland)
- Nando Pijnaker (Netherlands)
- Alex Rufer (Switzerland)
- Lachlan Bayliss (Australia)
Among these eight players are some young faces who are still breaking into the international scene. That includes 23-year-old Lachlan Bayliss, who only has two caps with the national team. He brings plenty of experience from Australia, where he played 62 games and scored 6 goals for the Newcastle Jets between 2023 and 2026.
Finn Surman is another standout young talent born outside of New Zealand. The 22-year-old currently plays for the Portland Timbers in MLS and has already netted 2 goals for the All Whites in just 13 caps.
