"We did it, Mom." Four words, and Jenny Bindon said it all clicked. Her son Tyler had just stepped off the pitch at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and in that moment, the pair had quietly made football World Cup history — the first mother and son to both compete at the tournament.
Tyler, 21, came on late in the second half of New Zealand's draw against the United States. Jenny was in the stands. She managed to get down to the barrier for a handshake after the final whistle, and that's when he said it.
"Just when he said that, it really dawned on me like, we did it — we're the first and that's unbelievable."
A family built around football
Jenny played in two World Cups for the Football Ferns — 2007 and 2011. Tyler was two years old for the first one. By the time she retired from international football in 2014, he'd spent his entire early childhood around training sessions, team functions, and travel. She recalls a moment — photo evidence somewhere — of him calling out "let's go, Mommy" as she walked out for a Ferns session.
That's the thread that runs through this story. Not a father handing down a football, but a mother doing it while actively playing at the highest level, at a time when female players with children were rare enough to be notable.
Tyler was born in Auckland but moved to California at 12 when Jenny took a coaching role at UCLA. He came through the academy at LA FC, and now holds a contract at Nottingham Forest — where All Whites captain Chris Wood also plays — after a loan spell at Sheffield United last season.
What this means for the All Whites
New Zealand aren't favourites in this World Cup by any measure, but Tyler Bindon is exactly the kind of player who can grow into a tournament. Young, Premier League-contracted, LA-raised with Kiwi grounding — his mum describes him as "a very good, humble Kiwi," which is exactly what you want from a 21-year-old stepping into a major tournament.
Jenny and Grant — Tyler's dad, a former New Zealand volleyball captain — are tracking the team across North America. They're already in Vancouver ahead of Monday's game against Egypt. New Zealand's odds to progress from the group are long, but they're not out of it, and a settled defensive unit that includes Tyler could be the thing that keeps them in games.
The history is made. Now the tournament continues.
