Michael Boxall is heading into his first Fifa World Cup in 16 years with the same rule he has used through much of his career: keep out of the noise and stay with what matters. The New Zealand defender says he is not buying into the hype around the tournament and is instead focusing on Libby, their children, and the football job in front of him.
That approach matters now because New Zealand is preparing for its first World Cup in 16 years, and Boxall is one of the senior players expected to help carry the side through the moment. He has spent 19 years as a professional, started at 18 after leaving Aotearoa on a scholarship to the University of California, and has since played in Vancouver, Wellington, South Africa and Minnesota.
For Boxall, though, the tournament is not something to be consumed by every day. He said the buzz is building, but he and his family live in a bubble and do not pay attention to the news. Instead, he keeps his attention on his kids, Libby, his family and friends, while making sure he shows up ready to do his job with football.
That focus is also tied to where he is in his life. Boxall, Libby, Maxwell and Beau have been based in Minnesota for nine years, and the World Cup has a personal edge because some of the games are in the US. Boxall said it will be cool to have Libby and the children there, even if he is still not looking beyond the work he has to do on the pitch.
Libby has her own view of the life they have built. She said they met through mutual friends in 2014 and married at their local courthouse in 2018, with just them, their daughter and a photographer in the garden. She also said being married to a professional athlete is not all sunshine and rainbows, because her husband is often away and she does much of the family work herself.
Boxall said Minnesota has been a good place to raise children, pointing to friendly people, strong schools and a quiet neighbourhood life. Libby echoed that the move has required adjustment, but said she loves the outdoorsy feel, even if winter can fall to minus 50 and summer can bring 30-degree days. The family’s settled life sits in contrast to the scale of the tournament ahead, and that is exactly how Boxall seems to want it.
He said he will also use his experience to help younger players enjoy the moment and try to make others proud of their performances. That is the kind of role a senior defender takes into a rare World Cup return, especially when the team is coming back after a 16-year absence and the games can be watched from the same country where his family now lives.
