Sumner, who led New Zealand during the 1982 FIFA World Cup, has been nominated by the FIFA Executive Committee following a proposal by OFC and NZF and will receive football’s highest honour during the FIFA Congress on 9-10 June 2010. He will become the first New Zealander to receive the award.
The FIFA order of Merit is awarded to people considered to have made a significant contribution to football, and Sumner says he felt “very humbled” by the honour.
“It’s exciting when you look down the list of people who have received the award from fantastic footballers to people like Nelson Mandela,” Sumner said.
“It’s not something I had thought of until I was nominated, and I’m very thankful to both New Zealand Football and Oceania Football Confederation.”
Born in England in 1955, Sumner enjoyed a glittering international career playing a record 105 matches for New Zealand between 1976 and 1988, including 58 ‘A’ internationals, and scoring 27 goals.
A former assistant coach of the All Whites, Sumner has also served the game as an administrator, as the current president of Mainland Football and a former NZF Board member.
He is perhaps best remembered for scoring Oceania’s first ever goal at a FIFA World Cup on their way to a 5-2 loss to Scotland in Malaga, Spain.
The talismanic midfielder was also inspirational during the 1981-82 qualifying campaign, claiming a six-goal haul against Fiji for what was a then FIFA World Cup qualification record and then scoring a crucial late equaliser against Australia to start off a remarkable string of results for the All Whites.
Sumner moved to New Zealand in 1973 as a 17-year-old when he joined Christchurch United. He earned a record six Chatham Cup titles including four for Christchurch and one each for Manurewa and Gisborne City, the latter as player-coach.
OFC General Secretary Tai Nicholas says it is a proud moment for New Zealand Football and for Oceania.
“The FIFA Order of Merit is reserved for those who have made an extraordinary contribution to the development and success of our sport. We are delighted to see one of Oceania’s favourite football sons join the ranks of what is a very select group of individuals who have been nominated for this distinction,” says Nicholas. “On behalf of the entire Oceania football family I would like to congratulate Steve Sumner and New Zealand Football for this wonderful achievement.”
New Zealand Football’s Chairman Frank van Hattum, a former World Cup team mate of Sumner’s, echoed Nicholas’ sentiments.
“New Zealand Football are thrilled that Steve has been afforded this honour. Steve’s passion and commitment to football is well known to all football fans and this is apt recognition of his continued support for all levels of the game.”
“This is extremely timely as the baton is passed from our successful team in 1982 to the class of 2010. We all congratulate him on being the recipient of this fantastic award.”