From National League relegation to the World Cup in 37 days: Tommy Smith defied the odds to achieve his dream
In his own words, Tommy Smith was "mentally done with football" in the summer of 2023, when his spell with League Two outfit Colchester United had naturally run its course.
He discussed retirement with those closest to him, weighing up whether the time was right to walk away from football for good. Deep down, though, Smith knew there was still one thing left to achieve, even if the odds were stacked against him.
After clocking more than 500 appearances across spells at Ipswich Town, Colorado Rapids and MK Dons, among others, he knew this wasn't the end. Not yet.
"The reason I carried on was simple," the 36-year-old tells SPORTbible from New Zealand's training base in the United States. "I wanted to finish my career by making a World Cup squad. I didn't want to go out with a whimper."
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Smith says the past three years have been spent working towards this very moment.
On Friday evening, at the BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, he could be involved in the final match of his 18-year professional career, when New Zealand take on Belgium in their final group stage match.
If that proves to be the case, Smith will bow out on the grandest stage of all rather than – with all due respect – at the 4,000-capacity Lamb Ground in Staffordshire, home of National League side Tamworth.
Over the past few years, Smith's wife and children have travelled around the world and "sacrificed so much" to help make his dream become a reality.
Tonight, they will be watching from the stands, cheering on a man who is officially the lowest-ranked player from England's football pyramid to be involved at this summer's tournament.
The dream is still alive for New Zealand. A win over Rudi Garcia's side on Friday would increase their points tally to four, which could be enough to secure a second place finish or qualify as one of the best-ranked third-place teams.
"One good result could make a huge difference," says Smith.
The journey to this summer's World Cup has been a turbulent one for Smith
In the months leading up to his World Cup call-up, it looked like the dream was over for Tommy Smith.
After leaving New Zealand, where he spent a year at A-League side Auckland FC, the defender joined National League side Braintree Town ahead of the 2025-26 season, a risky decision that could've impacted his chances of being included in Bazeley's plans.
To add fuel to the fire, Braintree ended up being relegated in April after finishing second-bottom, with Smith making just 21 appearances in all competitions.
"I suffered four separate injuries, so my place in the squad definitely wasn't guaranteed," he says. "I'd had injury problems all season but the worst moment came during the March international window."
Instead of joining up with the New Zealand squad in March for friendlies against Finland and Chile, Smith was told by head coach Bazeley to stay with Braintree and finish the season strongly by getting more first-team minutes under his belt.
However, disaster soon struck in a game against Brackley Town on March 24.
"I pulled my hamstring," Smith recalls, grimacing at the thought. "I remember coming off the pitch in tears. It was pouring down with rain and I genuinely thought my World Cup dream was over.
"I went to the hospital the next day and the scan showed it was a Grade 2B injury, which ruled me out for four to eight weeks. The final game of the season was only four-and-a-half weeks away, so I knew I had to recover as quickly as possible."
After many sleepless nights, Smith featured for Braintree in their final game of the National League season against Tamworth. He played an hour before being brought off in a 5-1 defeat. Did he think he'd done enough to earn a call-up?
"I was driving home after dropping the kids at school when Darren called," he remembers. "The signal where I live isn't great, so I ignored the call and waited until I got home to ring him back. I was so nervous. My stomach was in knots.
"He started asking about my wife and kids and all I was thinking was, ‘Please just get to the point!’
"Then he said, ‘How would you like to come to the World Cup?’ My immediate reaction was relief. I actually said out loud, ‘Thank God for that!’ It was just relief because this is what I've been working towards for years.
"I probably would have retired from professional football three years ago if it weren't for the carrot of the World Cup dangling there," he says "So for it all to happen now was a special moment for me."
Braintree to receive financial windfall from Smith's World Cup call-up
It has been a tricky season for Braintree. As well as being relegated to the National League South, they were placed under a transfer embargo in May.
The club insisted its budgeting was in accordance with league rules, but poor attendance at Cressing Road and an overspend of the playing budget played a role in a shortfall that could have a huge impact going forward.
That being said, Braintree could be lifted out of that transfer embargo, according to the BBC, as they expect to receive a six-figure sum from FIFA in mid-July as a result of Smith's participation at the World Cup.
For those unaware, FIFA make the payment as a 'thank you' to clubs for contributing to the World Cup and, even if New Zealand are knocked out in the group stage, Smith's 16-day involvement will secure the club a minimum of £128,000.
"You never want to see a football club struggling financially," Smith says. "The money won't solve everything, but it could provide a useful short-term buffer and help maintain operations while the club looks for investment."
Will his time come against Belgium?
New Zealand currently sit bottom of Group G. They walked away from SoFi Stadium with a hard-fought point following their World Cup opener with Iran, but fell to a 3-1 defeat against Egypt in their second game.
Smith has yet to play a minute for his country at this summer's tournament, 16 years after featuring for an unbeaten New Zealand at the 2010 World Cup.
"My role has evolved over time," he tells us. "There was a stage in my career when I expected to start every game. Now I'm 36 and realistic. There are younger players performing at very high levels who will start matches.
"My value is more in leadership, experience and helping drive the culture within the squad. I still want to play and contribute, of course, but I also know I can help the group off the pitch."
So, what does the future hold? Instead of staying in the game like many of his former teammates, Smith is ready to try something new.
"I'm studying to become a financial adviser," he confirms. "I've already been told that once I'm qualified, I'll have an opportunity to join a financial advisory business."
"I want a break from football," says Smith with a smile. "People tell me I'll miss it and probably come back in some capacity, but I want my weekends back. I want to watch my kids play football and be present for them."
Topics: New Zealand, FIFA World Cup
Jack Kenmare