Why Eli Just thinks the All Whites can shock the world
Sunday, 7 June 2026
From Palmerston North to the Scottish Premiership, Eli Just believes the All Whites can surprise the world at the Fifa World Cup 2026, writes Ian Anderson.
Don’t let his adoring Motherwell fans know, but Eli Just isn’t a fan of Irn-Bru or deep-fried food. Given the performances the All Whites attacking midfielder has produced for the Scottish Premier League side this season, his dietary preferences probably wouldn’t sway their opinion of him.
It’s not just the home fans that have a high opinion of Just, who will be a key factor in New Zealand’s attempt to make it past the group stage of the men’s football World Cup for the first time this month. In May, he was named in the PFA Scotland Premiership Team of the Year, selected by his fellow professionals in the Premiership.
It’s a long way from a central North Island university town for the 26-year-old.
“Palmerston North seems like a long time ago now,” Just tells Sunday.
For two years, Just’s parents would pick him up from school and drive him to Wellington so he could train and play for Wellington club Western Suburbs.
Aged 14, Just ditched the car rides and accepted a place at the Olé Football Academy in Porirua, moving into the dormitory.
“When I moved to the academy, I was one of the youngest, so I had to mature a little bit and learn to look after myself.
“Obviously, I had so many boys that helped me with that and showed me what to do, also maybe what not to do at some point. I was ready, I think, when I did go overseas. It was something that I'd worked towards for a long time, it was definitely not something that I was scared about.
“I went over there with no expectations, just trying to prove to myself that I could do it.
“There were a lot of ups and downs, some good moments, some difficult moments, but I think that’s the same for everyone, and right now I’m pretty happy.”
Just is slightly built – he stands 1.73m and weighs less than 70kg. But his ability on the ball, to dribble, pass and create, has made him the latest in a line of players of that ilk to emerge as All Whites – Marco Rojas, and current New Zealand teammates Ryan Thomas and Sarpreet Singh.
“When you say that, I think that that's a massive compliment,” says Just. “That's the type of player that I wanted to be when I joined the academy, and the players I looked up to, Ryan Thomas and the like.
“I learned a lot, and that's still the way that I think I am at my best now, when I'm on the ball, connecting with my teammates, just having fun. That's definitely how I describe myself.”
How his frame would handle the take-no-prisoners physical intensity of the Scottish Premier League worried Motherwell captain Paul McGinn, when Just joined them from after playing in Denmark and Austria.
“I looked at him and thought, ‘Scottish football? You could be in bother here’. When you look at a player like that, a guy who is diminutive and left-footed, you think, ‘He’s a flair player’. But he’s not. He’s a grafter, he works his socks off.
“He's so good at winning the ball back. He’s so sharp. He’s such a clever footballer. He knows where to be and when to be there. He’s an unbelievable footballer.”
Just knew he had to have those capabilities.
“I think that it’s got to a point where you need to be able to do a lot of things well, especially technically and on the physical side. The game has also evolved so much now. I'm not the biggest player, so I’ve had to adapt and had to push myself to continue to improve with the ball, so that I can manage to play against these guys who are sometimes a lot bigger and stronger than me.
“Obviously, I’m relatively small so there’s really no excuse for not being fit, but I’ve always had this kind of natural fitness and that’s the game I enjoy as well, pressing and keeping myself moving the whole game.”
Just was named in mid-May in the All Whites squad to contest the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. New Zealand have been drawn in Group G alongside Belgium, Egypt and Iran.
The top two teams from each of the 12 groups automatically qualify for the knockout phase of the tournament, while the eight next best-placed third-placed teams also make it through. That makes New Zealand’s opening game, versus fellow underdogs Iran in Los Angeles on June 16, almost a must-win for the three-time World Cup finals contestants to progress to previously unscaled heights.
Just believes the side can upset the pundits who predict the All Whites – ranked below their opponents – will finish bottom of the group.
“I think we have expectations and goals within the group that we are not there to just take part.
“I think that if you look at the previous New Zealand World Cup squads, the amount of professionals would be a lot lower than the number now, especially professionals that are playing in Europe.
“In saying that, the 2010 group in particular, they also made the nation so proud. They were incredible at the World Cup. Three good results, were unlucky not to progress – that’s a group of players that will be forever in New Zealand history. So we’ve got big shoes to fill, and I think expectations within New Zealand are maybe higher.
“I think expectations from the rest of the world may be still in the same place. I don’t think they realise how far we’ve come as a nation. It's our job to show them.”
Veteran English Premier League striker Chris Wood is predicted by most as being the player who must shine if the side is to win at a World Cup – the 1982 team lost its three group matches to Scotland, the USSR and Brazil – for the first time.
At their next appearance in 2010 in South Africa, NZ got a last-gasp goal from defender Winston Reid in their opening match to draw 1-1 with Slovakia, before a Shane Smeltz goal versus defending Cup holders Italy led to a stunning 1-1 draw. Needing a win over Paraguay in their final group match, the Ricki Herbert-coached side couldn’t score the goal required, exiting the tournament without a loss after a 0-0 draw.
Just believes the current squad is primed to make a breakthrough.
“There are a lot of players who have taken big steps in the last year. A lot of people are excelling at their club and there’s the core group that we've had for quite a few years.”
Up against them will be some superstar names – Egypt’s attack will be spearheaded by Mohamed Salah, who is just finishing a storied career as a Liverpool great, while current Manchester City winger Jérémy Doku will team up with former City legend Kevin De Bruyne with the Belgium side.
Before Just moved to Scotland, he’d been playing with St. Pölten in Austria's second-tier 2. Liga, on loan from Danish club AC Horsens.
He’d played under Motherwell coach Jens Berthel Askou at Horsens, and the coach had tried to sign him when later in charge at Swedish club IFK Göteborg.
He eventually got his man, and Just is delighted to be at Motherwell.
The football club has been in existence for 140 years at the heart of the town near the River Clyde in North Lanarkshire, about 20km south east of Glasgow.
Motherwell have been a top-flight regular in Scotland for 40 years, but live almost literally in the shadows of Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers – their last major trophy was the 1990-91 Scottish Cup.
“Life in Scotland’s really good. Going from Denmark and Austria to Scotland, it almost felt like I was moving home. English-speaking, a lot of the same culture, rugby, the food is similar. So it was easy to integrate into the team, into life – reading your power bills, your lease contract for the house; it's in English and I can understand when opening a bank account,” Just laughs. “It really does make everything just so much easier.”
But what does he think of Scotland’s ‘other national drink’ – if you’re not a whisky imbiber – Irn-Bru, an orange soft drink which outsells Coca-Cola.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve acquired a taste. I don’t mind it. Some of the boys on the team, especially the Scottish lads, they do enjoy an Irn-Bru after the game. I definitely prefer Fanta.”
Scotland also developed a reputation for unusual deep-fried food items, starting with a Mars bar in batter in the 1980s.
“I stay a little bit away from those places,” Just laughs. “There are definitely a few fast food places in Glasgow that you have a little look in and there's quite a line of people. Especially on a late night or on a cold day, and you think that there's no way that that food is first of all tasting good, but second of all, not healthy.”
Just’s parents later moved to Whitby to be closer to him while he was a teenager, but he still has a lot of friends in his home town who will be cheering him on via television at the World Cup.
“I love Palmerston North. I’m proud to be from Palmerston North.”
All Whites 2026 World Cup schedule:
Tuesday, June 16, 1pm: v Iran; SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
Monday, June 22, 1pm: v Egypt; BC Place, Vancouver
Saturday, June 27, 3pm: v Belgium; BC Place