Alex Paulsen
Squad number 12 · Lechia Gdańsk
Their 2026 World Cup
Alex Paulsen travelled to the 2026 World Cup with New Zealand, wearing number 12, without ever getting on the pitch. His side played 3 matches (1 draw and 2 defeats) and bowed out in the group stage (Group G), beaten by Belgium 5-1.
The goalkeeping job went to M. Crocombe (3 matches, 270′).
Another 8 players in the New Zealand squad ended up the same way, without a single minute. The full run is on the New Zealand team page.
Biography
Alexander Noah Paulsen (born 4 July 2002) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Scottish Premiership club Motherwell, on loan from Premier League club Bournemouth and the New Zealand national team. Born in Auckland, Paulsen joined the academy of Wellington Phoenix in 2018 and signed his first professional contract in September 2021. After establishing himself as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper, he signed for Bournemouth in June 2024. He was subsequently loaned to sister club Auckland FC for their inaugural A-League Men season and won the Premiership with them, before joining Lechia Gdańsk on loan for the 2025–26 campaign. In July 2026, Paulsen was loaned to Scottish side Motherwell. Paulsen represented New Zealand at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics. He also featured in the New Zealand squad at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Early life Paulsen was born in Auckland to a South African father and Namibian mother. He played futsal throughout his childhood, and only committed to playing football as a goalkeeper at the age of 13 after beginning as an outfielder.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) · text adapted from the article.
See all the tournament stats on the World Cup data hub.
Photo: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joey Sitter · Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)