SOCCER PLAYERS from New Zealand

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary New Zealander Soccer Players of all time. This list of famous New Zealander Soccer Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of New Zealander Soccer Players.

1. Wynton Rufer (b. 1962)

With an HPI of 52.98, Wynton Rufer is the most famous New Zealander Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 49 different languages on wikipedia.

Wynton Alan Whai Rufer (born 29 December 1962) is a New Zealand retired professional footballer who played as a striker. He spent more than a decade of his professional career in Switzerland and Germany, achieving his greatest success at Werder Bremen, where he won a total of four major titles and finished the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League 1993–94 season. He was also a member of the New Zealand national team in its first FIFA World Cup appearance in 1982. He was named the Oceania Footballer of the Century by the Oceania Football Confederation.

2. Archie Thompson (b. 1978)

With an HPI of 40.13, Archie Thompson is the 2nd most famous New Zealander Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

Archie Gerald Thompson (born 23 October 1978) is an Australian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is also currently serving as a club ambassador for Melbourne Victory FC. Born in New Zealand, Thompson played youth football at the New South Wales Institute of Sport before going on to play numerous seasons in the National Soccer League and A-League. After eleven seasons with Melbourne Victory, he moved on to play for Heidelberg United in 2016. Thompson also played overseas, for Belgian Pro League side Lierse and for Dutch Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven. Thompson has played over 50 times for the Australian national team, scoring 28 goals. He was in the squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the 2001 and 2005 FIFA Confederations Cups, the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, the 2008 Summer Olympics and the successful 2004 OFC Nations Cup. He holds the all time goal scoring record for a single international match, where he scored 13 goals in a 31–0 victory against American Samoa in 2001.

3. Ricki Herbert (b. 1961)

With an HPI of 38.89, Ricki Herbert is the 3rd most famous New Zealander Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Ricki Lloyd Herbert (born 10 April 1961) is a New Zealand former footballer and manager. He is the current director of football at Hamilton Wanderers AFC. Herbert was formerly head coach of the New Zealand national team, stepping down after the side failed to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Herbert represented his country at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain and coached the New Zealand national team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, famously leading them through the tournament unbeaten. His most recent role in international football was as the head coach of the Maldives national football team.

4. Ivan Vicelich (b. 1976)

With an HPI of 37.26, Ivan Vicelich is the 4th most famous New Zealander Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

Ivan Robert Vicelich (Croatian: Vicelić, Croatian pronunciation: [vitselitɕ]; VISS-ə-litch; born 3 September 1976) is a New Zealand former professional footballer who played as a centre-back or defensive midfielder. He is his country's and Oceania's most-capped international of all time with 88 caps between 1995 and 2013, and featured at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

5. Mark Paston (b. 1976)

With an HPI of 35.82, Mark Paston is the 5th most famous New Zealander Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 29 different languages.

Mark Nelson Paston (born 13 December 1976) is a New Zealand former professional football goalkeeper. He played for the Wellington Phoenix in the A-League before announcing his retirement from professional football at the end of the 2012–13 A-League season.

6. Chris Wood (b. 1991)

With an HPI of 35.50, Chris Wood is the 6th most famous New Zealander Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 37 different languages.

Christopher Grant Wood (born 7 December 1991) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Nottingham Forest and captains the New Zealand national team. Wood started his senior career with Cambridge, Waikato and Hamilton Wanderers before moving to England to play for Premier League club West Bromwich Albion. He spent his time on loan to six different clubs before joining Leicester City in 2013. After a loan spell with Ipswich Town in 2015, he signed for Championship club Leeds United where he became top scorer in the 2016–17 season. Wood then joined Burnley for a club record fee, and became a consistent goalscorer for them in the Premier League, notching up 49 goals in 144 matches over four and a half seasons. In January 2022 he joined Newcastle United for £25 million (€29 million), making him the most expensive Oceania player of all time. Wood has been capped 74 times for the New Zealand national team and scored 34 goals, making him the all-time leading goalscorer for his country. He played for the team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and was part of the squad that won the 2016 OFC Nations Cup.

7. Simon Elliott (b. 1974)

With an HPI of 35.39, Simon Elliott is the 7th most famous New Zealander Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Simon John Elliott (born 10 June 1974) is a New Zealand football manager and former player who most recently served as head coach of USL Championship side Sacramento Republic FC. A defensive midfielder, he spent his professional career in the |A-League, the |MLS and the Premier League. At international level, he made 69 appearances for the New Zealand national team, scoring 6 goals.

8. Kayne Vincent (b. 1988)

With an HPI of 35.00, Kayne Vincent is the 8th most famous New Zealander Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 40 different languages.

Kayne Vincent (born 29 October 1988) is a New Zealand professional footballer who currently plays as a forward for Western Springs in the Northern League. Born in Auckland, he played football in Japan, New Zealand, India, Australia, Thailand and Malaysia. He is one of the foreign players who received the most attention in 2016 Malaysia Premier League. He was born to a Japanese mother and a Kiwi father.

9. Winston Reid (b. 1988)

With an HPI of 32.67, Winston Reid is the 9th most famous New Zealander Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 44 different languages.

Winston Wiremu Reid (born 3 July 1988) is a New Zealand former footballer who last played as a defender for Premier League club West Ham United. He captained the New Zealand national team. He has also played for Midtjylland with loan periods at Sporting Kansas City and Brentford. Both Reid's parents have Māori ancestry. He affiliates to Tainui through his father and to Te Rarawa through his mother. He was born in North Shore, Auckland, and started playing football at the age of four at local club Takapuna. Reid moved from New Zealand to Denmark at the age of 10 with his mother and Danish stepfather, but always maintained contact with his father and his family in New Zealand. Reid signed a youth contract with SUB Sønderborg. In 2004, the then 16-year-old Reid joined the academy of Danish Superliga club FC Midtjylland on a three-year youth contract. He was one of the first players to graduate from FCM's football academy, the first of its kind in Denmark, coming through the system alongside Midtjylland teammates Jesper Weinkouff, Christian Sivebæk and former teammate, Simon Kjær. While coming through the system, Reid helped the U19 win their first U19 Danish championship. In November 2005, Reid signed a professional contract with FC Midtjylland. At the same month at aged 17, he made his FC Midtjylland debut in the Royal League tournament against Norwegian side Vålerenga in a 4–0 win. Reid made his league debut for FC Midtjylland, making his first start and played 60 minutes before being substituted in the 60th minute, in a 2–2 draw against SønderjyskE on 27 November 2005. It was not until on 19 March 2006 when he made another appearance for the side, coming on as an 88th-minute substitute, in a 2–0 win against Aarhus GF. Reid then received a handful of first team football towards the end of the 2005–06 season, which lead him to make nine appearances for the side. At the start of the 2006–07 season, Reid appeared in the first three league matches before being sidelined with an injury. After missing three matches, he made his return from injury, coming on as a 76th-minute substitute, in a 2–0 win against Silkeborg on 10 September 2006. However, his return was short–lived when Reid suffered another injury, resulting him out for two months. Reid later featured in and out of the first team towards the end of the season. By the end of the season, he went on to make 11 appearances in all competitions. Ahead of the 2007–08 season, Reid signed a contract extension with Midtjylland, keeping him until 2012. Shortly after, he made his first appearance of the season against AaB and helping the side win 2–1 on 8 August 2007. Reid continued to be featured in and out of the first team for the next three months. However, he was plagued with injuries and was out of the starting line–up for most of the season. By the end of the season, Reid went on to make nine appearances in all competitions. At the start of the 2008–09 season, Reid became a first team regular and established himself in the starting eleven. He scored his first goal for Midtjylland in a 6–1 win against Bangor City in the first round of the UEFA Cup on 17 July 2008. Against Manchester City in the second leg of the UEFA Cup second round on 28 August, Reid successfully converted his penalty in the shootout, though Midtjylland lost 4–2 in the penalty shootout. Shortly after, he was linked with a move to City. On 29 September, Reid was sent–off for a straight red card in a 1–0 loss against Akademisk Boldklub in the third round of the Danish Cup. By the end of the year, he had been demoted to the substitute bench amid injury concerns. Reid was able to regain his first team place for the rest of the season. On 23 March 2009, he scored his first league goal in a 3–2 loss against Aab. This was followed up by scoring his second goal and setting up the club's second goal of the game, in a 3–1 win against AC Horsens. But during the match, Reid injured his right foot after clashing with Besart Berisha. After the match, he publicity criticised Berisha, calling him an "idiot" and rejected his apology. Despite missing two more matches later in the season, Reid went on to make 29 appearances and scoring three times in all competitions. Ahead of the 2009–10 season, Reid continued to be linked a move away from the club, as Serie A clubs were interested in signing him. But Reid responded to the transfer speculation, saying that he was not in a rush to leave the club. At the start of the season, Reid continued to establish himself in the starting eleven, playing in the centre–back position. and started the first 17 league matches until he missed one match against FC Nordsjælland on 6 December. Reid then returned to the starting line–up, starting the whole game, in a 2–2 draw against Odense BK on 6 March 2010. He then followed up by keeping three consecutive clean sheets between 14 March and 25 March. During a 3–2 win against Copenhagen on 17 April, Reid suffered a shoulder injury that saw him miss two matches. On 13 May 2010, Reid started in the Danish Cup Final against Nordsjælland, and played 120 minutes after the game went extra time, as FC Midtjylland lost 2–0. Overall, he made 32 appearances during the season. Following his performance at the World Cup, Reid was linked a move away from Midtjylland, with clubs from Europe interested in signing him. However, at the start of the 2010–11 season, he suffered a groin injury that kept him out for the first two league matches. But Reid made his return to the starting line–up, starting the whole game, in a 1–0 loss against Brøndby on 1 August 2010, which turns out to be his last appearance for the club. After leaving Midtjylland, Reid was named the club's Best Eleven by the fans. Reid signed for West Ham United on 5 August 2010, on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee. His transfer fee was the subject of a dispute between West Ham and Midtjylland, as West Ham withheld the fee to bring to UEFA's attention fees owing to them from the sale of Alessandro Diamanti to Brescia. Reid made his Premier League debut on 14 August, playing the whole game in a 3–0 loss to Aston Villa in the opening game of the season. After making another appearance in a follow–up match, he was dropped and found himself on the substitute bench, as well as playing in the reserve side for the next three months. It was not until on 27 November when Reid made his first team return, coming on as a 50th-minute substitute in a 3–1 win against Wigan Athletic. Between January and February, he made six starts for the side. Reid played an important role against Nottingham Forest in the fourth round of the FA Cup, assisting a goal for Victor Obinna, who scored a hat–trick, in a 3–2 win on 30 January 2011. He then scored his first goal for the club in a 5–1 win against Burnley in the fifth round of the FA Cup on 21 February. After the match, Reid said he dedicated to the victims and his families following an earthquake in Christchurch. Once again, however, Reid spent the rest of the 2010–11 season sidelined from the starting eleven, which saw him placed on the substitute bench, as well as, his own injury concern. In his first season at West Ham, which saw them relegated to the Championship, he made 12 appearances in all competitions. Ahead of the 2011–2012 season, Reid stayed at West Ham despite being linked with a move away from the club. At the start of the season, he regained his first team place, playing in the centre–back position after the arrival of Sam Allardyce. Reid then scored his first league goal for West Ham in a 4–1 away win over Nottingham Forest on 28 August. Since the start of the season, Reid started in the first eight league matches until he suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out for two matches. Reid suffered a shoulder injury in the first half during a 0–0 draw against Bristol City on 2 November, resulting in him being sidelined for a month. It was not until on 31 December 2011 when Reid returned to the starting line–up, in a 2–1 loss against Derby County. He regained his first team place following his return from a shoulder injury. Reid scored the winning goal against arch-rivals Millwall in a 2–1 home win on 4 February 2012. However at the beginning of March, he suffered ankle injury that kept him out for a month. It was not until on 6 April when Reid returned to the starting line–up, in a 4–0 win against Barnsley. Two weeks later on 23 April, he scored his third goal of the season, in a 2–1 win against Leicester City. Reid played all three matches in the Championship Play–offs, as West Ham finished the season by winning the Football League play-offs against Blackpool at Wembley Stadium, and gaining promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt. In his second season, he made 33 appearances and scoring three times in all competitions. Ahead of the 2012–13 season, Reid opted to stay and train with his West Ham teammates ahead of the new Premier League season rather than represent New Zealand at the London Olympics. Reid started the season well when he helped West Ham United keep a clean sheet in a 1–0 win against Aston Villa in the opening game of the season. On 1 September, Reid scored his first Premier League goal in West Ham's 3–0 victory against Fulham. Despite helping the club collect four points throughout December, Reid's performance was a standout that he was named December's SBOBET Player of the Month by the club's supporters. Reid captained West Ham for the first time in his career against Manchester United in the third round replay of FA Cup and helped the side lose 1–0. Two months later, he became a stand in captain once again following injuries to Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble, coming against Stoke City and Chelsea. However, by April, he suffered a thigh injury that saw him miss two matches. Reid returned to the starting line–up against Manchester United on 17 April 2013, helping the side draw 2–2. It was announced on 1 May that Reid signed a two-year extension to his contract until the end of the 2014–15 season. Arguably his best season since joining the club, Reid was rewarded for his form on 8 May when he was named Hammer of the Year, as West Ham went on to finish the season in 10th. In his third season, he made 37 appearances and scoring once in all competitions. At the start of the 2013–14 season, Reid started the season well when he helped the side keep two clean sheets in the first two league matches. Reid scored the opening goal in a 3–0 away win against rivals Tottenham Hotspur on 6 October 2013, ending the club's five league match losing streak. However, a month later, he suffered an ankle injury in training which required surgery. By late–January, Reid made a return to full training. It was not until on 1 February 2014 when he made his return from injury, starting the whole game, in a 2–0 home win against Swansea City. Following his return, Reid regained back his first team place for the closing months of the season and helped the club retain their status in the league, finishing thirteenth place. He made his 100th appearance for West Hamin all competitions on 15 April in a 1–3 defeat away to Arsenal. In his fourth season at the club, Reid made 22 appearances and scored once in all competitions. On 20 September 2014, Reid scored the first goal after just two minutes in a 3–1 win against Liverpool at Upton Park. Reid started the first twelve matches of the season until he was sidelined for one game in late–November for his fifth booking of the season. He regained his first team place for the next 11 matches between December and February. This lasted until Reid sustained a hamstring injury during a 2–0 loss against Liverpool on 31 January 2015 and was sidelined for weeks. It was announced on 1 March that Reid signed a new six-and-a-half-year contract with West Ham, after much speculation over his future at the club, after being linked with London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham. Over the closing months of the season, Reid continued to be in and out of the first team, as he was plagued from injuries. In his fifth season at West Ham United, Reid made 33 appearances and scored once in all competitions. At the start of the 2015–16 season, Reid made his UEFA Europa League debut against Birkirkara in the first leg of the second round. In mid–October, Reid suffered a hip injury while on international duty and was sidelined for weeks, making his return on 7 November in a 1–1 draw against Everton. Reid captained the side for the first time in the season against West Brom on 29 November, but scored an own goal in a 1–1 draw. In a follow–up match against Manchester United, his performance was praised by ESPN. However, he was sidelined with a hamstring injury that kept him out for a month. It was not until on 9 January 2016 when Reid made his return from injury, starting the whole game, in a 1–0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the third round of the FA Cup. He, once again, became a captain for the second time this season, as West Ham drew 0–0 against Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup. But Reid suffered another hamstring injury that kept him out for a month. It was not until on 19 March when Reid made his return from injury, starting the whole game, in a 2–2 draw against Chelsea. He later regained his first team place over the closing months of the season despite suffering from injuries. On 10 May, Reid wrote his name into West Ham folklore when he scored the last ever goal at Upton Park in a 3–2 win against Manchester United. In his sixth season at West Ham, Reid made 30 appearances and scored once in all competitions. At the start of the 2016–17 season, Reid played all three matches of the Europa League Qualifying match, as they did not progress to the Group Stage after losing 2–1 on aggregate against Astra Giurgiu. Reid scored his first goal of the season in a 1–0 win against Sunderland on 22 October. After serving a one match suspension for picking up five yellow cards, he returned to the starting line–up against Tottenham Hotspur on 19 November and set up two goals, but was later–off for second bookable offence, in a 3–2 loss. On 26 December, Reid scored his second goal of the season, in a 4–1 win against Swansea City. Reid regained his first team place for the next three months. He also became a stand in captain following Noble's absence for a number of matches towards the end of the season. Despite suffering from abductor problems later in the season, in his seventh season at West Ham, Reid made 36 appearances and scored two times in all competitions. Ahead of the 2017–18 season, Reid returned to full training following a knee injury. He also signed a contract extension with the club, keeping him until 2023. In early January 2018, Reid suffered a groin injury, keeping him out until 3 March when he played against Swansea, only to be taken off on a stretcher with an oxygen mask over his face after being knocked unconscious and twisting a knee, resulting in him being substituted in the 27th minute. After the match, it was announced that Reid was sidelined for the rest of the season. In his eighth season at West Ham, he made 20 appearances in all competitions. However, Reid did not play for the 2018–19 season, as he continued to recover from a knee injury. Ahead of the 2019–20 season, Reid made his first appearance in a friendly match against SCR Altach and helped them win 3–2 on 11 July 2019. After the match, he said: "You sometimes forget what it's like to play, so I was really looking forward to it. " However, Reid suffered a knee injury that kept him out for further three months. It was not until on 30 October when he returned from injury, playing 64 minutes for the reserve side, in a 3–2 loss against VfL Wolfsburg II. Reid made another appearance for the reserve side, in a 4–0 win against Aston Villa U23 on 22 November. On 21 September 2021 West Ham announced that Reid had departed the club by mutual consent. On 14 February 2020, Reid went to Sporting Kansas City on loan. Upon joining the club, he said: "The last 19 months hasn't been the easiest time in my career, but hopefully we’ve crossed that bridge now. I'm just looking forward to a new challenge. Whatever happened back in the UK happened, so I'm just happy to be here and I'm really excited for it.". In December 2020, Sporting Kansas City announced that they would not be signing Reid on a permanent transfer at the end of his loan and that he would return to West Ham. On 1 February 2021, Reid joined EFL Championship club Brentford on loan for the remainder of the 2020–21 season. On 3 February, Reid made his debut for Brentford in a 3–2 win against Bristol City, coming on late in the game as a substitute. It was his first senior game in English football since 2018. He played in the play-off final, helping Brentford gain promotion to the Premier League for the 2021–22 season. Reid was hailed as "a giant" by Brentford manager Thomas Frank for helping to get their promotion push back on track following his arrival at the club in February. Reid received Danish citizenship in 2006 and was subsequently called up for the under-19 national team. He played for various Danish age-grade representative teams, in particular the under-19s and under-21s, and played in the 2009 European Under-21 Championship qualification tournament. During a match against Serbia U21 on 11 October 2008, Reid was subjected to racism by the opposition supporters. On 11 March 2010, Reid stated that he wanted to play for New Zealand's senior team, and on 13 March 2010 he made himself available for New Zealand's 2010 World Cup selection. On 10 May 2010, Reid was included in New Zealand's 2010 World Cup squad even though New Zealand national coach Ricki Herbert had never seen him play. He made his international debut in a friendly against Australia in Melbourne two weeks later. His second appearance came in the All Whites' shock 1–0 victory over Serbia, leaving Ricki Herbert "suitably impressed" with Reid's performance, supplanting Ben Sigmund on the right side of Herbert's three-man defence. On 15 June 2010, Reid scored an equalising goal in stoppage time against Slovakia in their opening game of the 2010 World Cup, thus securing a draw as well as his first ever international goal and New Zealand's first ever point in a World Cup finals match. He later made two more appearances in the tournament, as New Zealand was eliminated in the Group Stage. Despite the elimination, Reid later reflected on the tournament, saying it has changed his life. On 12 October 2010, Winston picked up his first international red card against Paraguay in Wellington for a "vicious" studs-up tackle on striker Federico Santander in the 90th minute of the All Whites' 2–0 defeat. Following the retirement of Ryan Nelsen from international football in 2013, Reid was named captain of the All Whites. His first match as captain came on 22 March 2013 against New Caledonia and set up a goal for Tommy Smith, who scored the winning goal, in a 2–1 win. Later in the same year on 7 November 2013, Reid was ruled out of the All Whites' FIFA World Cup playoff against Mexico, not only leaving a void on defence, but also with his successor as captain uncertain. It was not until on 9 September 2014 when he made his first appearance for the national side in almost a year, as they lost 3–1 against Uzbekistan. Reid made his only national side appearance a year later on 7 September 2015 against Myanmar, helping the side draw 1–1. It was not until on 9 October 2016 when Reid made another national side appearance a year later against Mexico, which saw them lose 2–1. However, he missed a year from the national side once again, including missing out in the FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. It was not until October 2017 when Reid was called up to the national side. He started the whole game against Japan on 6 October 2017, as they lost 2–1. The following month, Reid played in both legs against Peru, the world's 10th ranked team at the time, for a place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, as New Zealand lost 2–0 on aggregate. After a two-year absence from the national side, he was called up to the national side in November. Reid made his first national side appearance in two years, coming against Republic of Ireland, where he captained and played 45 minutes before being substituted, as they lost 3–1. In July 2021, Reid was confirmed as a member of the New Zealand team at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. In August 2022, Reid announced his international retirement with the home-and away series against Australia being his final games. He played his final match on 25 September at Eden Park. In addition to speaking English, Reid is fluent in Danish. In July 2015, Reid became a first time father when his wife, Yana, gave birth to twins, Ariana and Damien. In August 2015, Reid launched a footballing scholarship at Scots College, which were won by Sarpreet Singh and Max Mata. As of August 2022, Reid and his family are based in Dubai. As of match played 29 May 2021 As of match played 15 November 2019 Scores and results list New Zealand's goal tally first. West Ham United Football League Championship play-offs: 2012 Sporting Kansas City MLS Western Conference: 2020 Brentford EFL Championship play-offs: 2021 Individual Hammer of the Year: 2012–13 NZF Footballer of the Year: 2011 NZPFA Players' Player of the Year: 2011 New Zealand Footballer of the Year: 2014 IFFHS OFC Men's Team of the Decade 2011–2020 IFFHS Oceania Men's Team of All Time: 2021 List of sportspeople who competed for more than one nation Winston Reid at Soccerbase Winston Reid at DR (in Danish) (archived) Premier League profile at the Wayback Machine (archived 28 November 2010)

10. Michael Fitzgerald (b. 1988)

With an HPI of 31.90, Michael Fitzgerald is the 10th most famous New Zealander Soccer Player.  His biography has been translated into 42 different languages.

Michael James Fitzgerald (フィッツジェラルド 舞行龍 ジェームズ, Fittsujerarudo Maikeru Jēmuzu, born 17 September 1988) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Albirex Niigata. He has spent his entire professional club career in Japan, predominantly playing for Albirex Niigata. Born in New Zealand, Fitzgerald became a naturalized Japanese citizen in 2013. He debuted for the New Zealand national football team in 2011 and earned 3 caps.