Ben Old’s story doesn’t fit neatly into the usual football pipeline, and that’s exactly why we’re celebrating it. According to recent Copa do Mundo coverage by Jogo Hoje, the 2026 World Cup is set to spotlight a New Zealand profile unlike anything we’re used to in the European-and-South American spotlight. Here comes the twist: the lateral-esquerdo and ponta pela esquerda who now looks tailor-made for the All Whites was once carving his future with a golf club, not a ball.
Who is Ben Old and why his path is anything but standard
Let’s frame it properly. Ben Old is 22 years old, and he’s already living the kind of international football odyssey that most players only dream about. He’s been at Saint-Étienne since 2024, and he’s on track to become one of the faces of New Zealand’s third-ever World Cup appearance. That alone should make scouts sit up, but the bigger headline is how he arrived there.
In New Zealand terms, this matters because the All Whites have never won a World Cup match. Ever. So when we talk about Old becoming a cornerstone, it’s not just a feel-good narrative. It’s a tactical and psychological bet: can this team find a first taste of triumph in a group that doesn’t exactly hand out freebies?
Old’s football education started early, too. In the youth setup, he played the U-17 World Cup in 2019 in Brazil. Then he didn’t just “participate”; he delivered. He was a starter in the title-winning campaign of the Copa das Nações da OFC. And when the next step arrived—top-level club football—he did it through the A-League, featuring in four editions.
From the tee to the touchline: how golf shaped his mentality
Here’s the part that makes this more than a quirky sidebar. Old’s first sports “present” wasn’t a football. It was a golf club—when he was just two years old. That early exposure tells you something about mindset before it tells you anything about technique.
Golf doesn’t reward chaos; it rewards routine, concentration, and dealing with pressure when the margin is tiny. And Old himself has pointed to the way early tournaments conditioned him for the demands of elite sport. He even traveled at seven to compete in the United States, taking part in events across places like Las Vegas, Pinehurst, and San Diego. That kind of pressure-cooker training doesn’t disappear just because you switch sports.
So yes, for a while he genuinely split his attention between tee shots and football. Golf in the warmer months, football in the winter. The decision sharpened around the age of 16 when he entered the Wellington Phoenix pathway. That’s where the fork in the road became permanent: football was his true obsession, and the rest is now history.
Rising through Wellington Phoenix and landing in France
Old’s climb through the Wellington Phoenix system had that classic “step-by-step” feel—earn minutes, earn trust, then earn impact. He broke into the main group, and from there he built his profile in the A-League, including four editions of the competition.
Before the move to France, he also contributed in a way that looks particularly relevant for how teams want to play today. In his last year before sealing the Saint-Étienne deal, he was involved in nine goals. That number doesn’t come out of nowhere; it points to involvement in the rhythm of attacks—exactly the kind of output you want from a ponta pela esquerda tasked with supporting runs, pinning full-backs, and fueling the team’s transição ofensiva.
And now, in France, Old is almost two seasons into his new chapter. The bigger test isn’t just adapting to a new league; it’s carrying that development into a World Cup where New Zealand will need every ounce of composure.
Ben Old for the All Whites: from youth stages to a pillar role
Old’s selection journey with New Zealand has been steady, not sensational. He was part of the squad that won the Copa das Nações da OFC for the U-16s, then he turned up on the international stage at the U-17 World Cup in Brazil in 2019, playing two matches.
At the U-23 level, he was also in the group preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympics, but injury ruled him out. New Zealand’s campaign there ended in the group stage, and that’s where the story turns: Old’s absence became a reminder that at this level, timing can be cruel.
He’s been in the senior setup since 2022, but the real consolidation came with the Copa das Nações da OFC success at a higher level—and from that point he didn’t just “hold a spot.” He became the go-to name, playing as a ponta pela esquerda and providing consistency.
There was a knee issue that kept him out of the decisive matches in the World Cup qualifying run. He returned after recovery under Darren Bazeley, and that matters. In tournaments like this, availability isn’t a footnote—it’s part of the squad’s identity.
What New Zealand is trying to prove at the 2026 World Cup
Let’s talk context. New Zealand are heading into the 2026 World Cup as underdogs, yes, but not helpless ones. They’re in Group G alongside Belgium, Iran, and Egypt. On paper, that’s a group that can punish you for every sloppy touch and every slow transition. And remember: the All Whites have never won a World Cup match. That’s not history you “move past.” That’s a wall you have to break.
Old knows the narrative pressure. New Zealand’s challenge is to show they can play football—proper, structured football—without leaning on the stereotype that they’re only capable of rugby-style intensity. Old has been clear about the plan: build with the ball, stay efficient, and reduce the old tendency toward long, physical passages of play.
So when Old says the World Cup will be the chance to evolve and show the world what New Zealand can do, we hear it as a tactical promise. This group demands competence in moments of transition: winning second balls, triggering the transição ofensiva decisively, and punishing opponents during the in-between phases. Can the All Whites do that consistently against Belgium, Iran, and Egypt? That’s the real question.
O Veredito Jogo Hoje
Ben Old arriving as a lateral-esquerdo who can run the left channel, support pressing, and help New Zealand turn defense into attack is exactly the kind of upgrade this group can’t ignore. And if there’s one thing we trust at Jogo Hoje, it’s that underdogs don’t beat expectations by being brave for 10 minutes—they beat them by being organized for 90. Old’s golf-bred composure plus his real-world minutes in the A-League and now in France gives the All Whites a chance to stop “hoping” and start executing. In a group where one win changes everything, New Zealand don’t just need a storyline—they need a system, and Old looks like the piece that can make it click.
Perguntas Frequentes
Who is Ben Old and what position does he play?
Ben Old is a 22-year-old New Zealand international who plays as a lateral-esquerdo and can operate as a ponta pela esquerda on the left side for the All Whites.
Why did Ben Old almost become a golfer before choosing football?
Because his family environment and early life were shaped by golf from an extremely young age, including tournament experiences in childhood. For years he split time between golf (during the warmer season) and football (in winter) before committing fully to the sport.
What is New Zealand’s group in the 2026 World Cup?
New Zealand are in Group G, alongside Belgium, Iran, and Egypt.
