Unlikely Lads: The players from Braintree to Port-au-Prince set for football's biggest stage

Click here to add us to your Google preferred sources or find out more here

The deadline for teams to submit their World Cup squads is Monday (June 1), and the full list of players who will represent the 48 nations at this summer's showpiece will be announced on Tuesday.

Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Real Madrid are among the clubs with the most players heading to North America, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi need no introduction as they prepare to feature at their sixth World Cups.

But what about the lesser-known figures who will be playing their part on the global stage? From Braintree to Port-au-Prince, we take a look at some of the surprise names at this year's World Cup and the clubs they represent.

Tommy Smith Braintree Town

New Zealand defender Tommy Smith has featured at the World Cup before, playing every minute when the All Whites last reached the finals in 2010.

Back then the Macclesfield-born centre-back was an up-and-coming youngster at Ipswich and he went on to make 250 appearances for the Tractor Boys over an 11-year spell.

Stints in the MLS and A-League, as well as further down the EFL with Colchester, have followed for the 36-year-old, who spent the 2025-26 season playing in the National League with Braintree Town.

Smith managed only 17 league appearances as Braintree were relegated to the National League South - the sixth tier of English football - and with the club under a transfer embargo, his future remains unclear.

Roberto Lopes Shamrock Rovers

Roberto Lopes, or Pico, is an Irish-born defender who has spent his entire career in the League of Ireland with first Bohemians and, since 2017, Shamrock Rovers.

However, the 33-year-old will be heading to the World Cup with Cape Verde - the birth place of his father and the nation he has represented since 2019 - although his initial call-up to the international set-up was unusual.

Part of a recruitment drive to find players of Cape Verdean heritage, Lopes was allegedly approached on LinkedIn, but ignored the message as he did not speak Portuguese. When he was contacted on the platform again months later, this time in English, he jumped at the chance to represent the island nation.

Lopes will not be the only League of Ireland representative at the finals, as St Patrick's Athletic goalkeeper Joseph Anang is set to form part of Ghana's travelling party.

Woodensky Pierre Violette AC

Haiti are set to face Scotland in their World Cup opener and coming up against the likes of John McGinn and Scott McTominay could be midfielder Woodensky Pierre, who is the only member of Sebastien Migne's squad currently plying his trade in his homeland.

Pierre plays as a defensive midfielder for Ligue Haitienne champions Violette AC and his club form earned him a first senior international call-up in March, when he made his debut in a friendly draw with Iceland.

The World Cup could be seen as a great opportunity for Pierre, aged just 21, to earn a move abroad, although Scotland fans will be hoping he does not become a household name as a result of their meeting in Massachusetts on June 14.

Gervane Kastaneer Terengganu

Speaking of players who have faced Scotland, Gervane Kastaneer featured in Curacao's 4-1 friendly defeat to the Tartan Army on Saturday and he will be heading to the finals to represent the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup.

An international since 2018, Kastaneer, who turns 30 on the eve of the finals, has enjoyed a nomadic career that has taken him to the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and England, where he spent two largely forgettable seasons at Coventry that included a brief loan spell north of the border at Hearts.

A forward, Kastaneer has spent the last two years playing in south-east Asia and is currently on the books of Terengganu, who finished fifth in this season's Malaysia Super League. Kastaneer scored just one goal in seven appearances but provided five assists.

Cesar Yanis Cobresal

Panama are set to face England in Group L and swapping a relegation battle in Chile for a potential showdown with the Three Lions is winger Cesar Yanis.

Bar a couple of loan spells in the Spanish lower leagues, Yanis has spent his entire club career in Central or South America and is currently on loan at Chilean strugglers Cobresal from San Carlos in Costa Rica.

Yanis is a veteran of more than 50 caps at international level but his current club are only two points above the drop zone in the Chilean top flight and they will be missing the 30-year-old when they take on league leaders Colo-Colo just a few days before Panama begin their World Cup campaign against Ghana in Toronto.

Read more on the World Cup:

From Montiel to Marchena: Why those who don't start are so important at the World Cup 

Nations League winners Portugal still have questions to answer on the world stage 

Which lightly raced runners are primed to peak at the World Cup? 

First Impressions: Aaron Ashley puts the spotlight on the four nations making their World Cup debuts this summer 

Focusing on the five favourites for the 2026 World Cup 

Click for free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Important information: This article may contain links to offers or promotions that were available at the time of publication. These offers may have since expired or changed.

Offers are handpicked and come from operators that our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.