New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley included veteran defender Tommy Smith in his World Cup squad in a throwback ​to the 2010 finals in South Africa, while naming Australia-based rookie midfielder Lachlan Bayliss, Reuters reported. 

Currently playing for Braintree Town in the English fifth tier, centre back Smith has not featured for the All Whites since 2024 but joins captain and fellow 2010 alumni Chris Wood in the 26-man roster for the June 11-July 19 finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.