Ben Waine
Squad number 18 · Port Vale
Their 2026 World Cup
Ben Waine travelled to the 2026 World Cup with New Zealand, wearing number 18, 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.
Attack went to C. Wood (3 matches, 270′) and B. Old (3 matches, 91′).
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
Benjamin Peter Waine (born 11 June 2001) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a forward for EFL League Two club Port Vale and the New Zealand national team. Waine began his career with Wellington Phoenix, playing for the Reserves in the New Zealand Football Championship. He made his A-League debut in August 2018, becoming the youngest player and goalscorer in the club's history at age 17 and 18, respectively. He was sold to English club Plymouth Argyle in December 2022, who he helped to win the League One title at the end of the 2022–23 season. He spent the 2024–25 campaign on loan at Mansfield Town. He left Plymouth in June 2025 and signed for Port Vale. He represented New Zealand at under-20 and under-23 level, competing at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics. He made his debut for the senior team in March 2022 and won the 2024 OFC Nations Cup, scoring four goals in the tournament.
Early and personal life Benjamin Peter Waine was born on 11 June 2001 in Wellington, New Zealand.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) · text adapted from the article.
See all the tournament stats on the World Cup data hub.
Photo: EchetusXe · Wikimedia Commons (CC0)