Nando Pijnaker
Squad number 15 · Auckland FC
Their 2026 World Cup
Nando Pijnaker travelled to the 2026 World Cup with New Zealand, wearing number 15, 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.
Defence went to F. Surman (3 matches, 270′) and T. Payne (3 matches, 227′).
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
Nando Zen Pijnaker (Dutch: [ˈnɑndo zɛn ˈpɛi̯.nɑ.kər]; born 25 February 1999) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for A-League Men club Auckland FC. Born in the Netherlands, he plays for the New Zealand national team.
Early life Pijnaker was born in the Netherlands and migrated to New Zealand with his family at the age of three, settling in Rotorua. He attended and played football for Western Heights High School and also began playing for local club Ngongotaha, making his first-team debut at the age of 15.
Western Suburbs In 2015 Pijnaker moved to Wellington to join the Olé Football Academy, then run by Declan Edge, and played for affiliated club Western Suburbs in the Central League that features teams from the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand. Pijnaker was part of the team to win the Central League in 2017 and reach the final of the 2018 Chatham Cup.
Eastern Suburbs Through the Olé Academy partnership, Pijnaker signed for Olé affiliate Eastern Suburbs, winning the ISPS Handa Premiership and qualifying for the OFC Champions League.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) · text adapted from the article.
See all the tournament stats on the World Cup data hub.