Dame Sarai-Paea Bareman. Photo: Photosport
Samoan New Zealand-born Sarai Bareman has been made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to football governance.
Dame Sarai was appointed the first ever FIFA's chief women's football officer in 2016 and has overseen the delivery of Women's World Cups, including the 2023 tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand - the most attended women's sporting event in history.
"I'm humbled. I'm completely honored, it just feels like such an incredible way to cap off an incredible year. I'm so grateful." Dame Sarai said.
She said the accolade ranked as one of the greatest achievements of her life.
"It's not often that you receive a letter which gets acknowledgment from the King. I think it's also important to show that women from New Zealand with a Pacific background can achieve great things at a global scale and that's not lost on me, the visibility of this."
Much of her career has been spent repairing damage caused by corruption in the game.
Her journey began in finance for the Samoa Football Federation, where she helped to rebuild the sport following a embezzlement scandal.
Dame Sarai quickly progressed to chief executive with her next role coming at the Oceania Football Federation as a member of the reform committee after several high-profile FIFA officials were arrested.
In 2016, she was appointed FIFA's first chief women's football officer, tasked with growing the women's game on a global scale.
"What we see at a World Cup is incredible but the truth is, for the vast majority of female football players around the world they're still amateur. They're a long way away from being anywhere near a women's World Cup," Dame Sarai said.
"There are only a handful of women that can earn a living playing football. So it's continuing to drive the professionalisation of the sport."
Dame Sarai has been bold in her strategy, including the goal of increasing female player numbers worldwide to 60 million by 2026.
"I'm so passionate about what I do that it's easy for me to stay motivated for such an incredible task, and I see the positive impact that the sport has, particularly on young girls. It's our obligation to deliver the sport to those young girls around the world."
Equality has always been a driving factor behind her success.
"The ultimate goal is that every opportunity that is given to young boys in every country around the world through football, is also given to young girls. Having access to a field and being able to kick a ball, having a coach and infrastructure around it."
With back to back record-breaking world cups, it is clear her impact has been significant.
"The tournament absolutely blew away all of our expectations," Dame Sarai said.
"We had more than two billion people around the world watching and close to two million in the stadiums across New Zealand and Australia," she said.
"The momentum is with us now. we've got to keep moving."
Dame Sarai is one of four New Zealand women from the football community to be included on the honours list.
"It's something that I've known for quite some time that we have some really incredible, wonderful, powerful and passionate women in our sport."
Football Ferns players and more football officials on honours list
Also honoured for her extensive contributions to football is New Zealand Football president Dr Johanna Wood, who has been made a companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
After a decade chairing the Central Football Federation, Dr Wood was elected president of the nation's governing body in March 2020.
An Oceania Football Confederation Fifa Council member, Wood was awarded the Sport New Zealand Leadership Award at the prestigious Halberg Awards in 2021.
Johanna Wood. Photo: Football NZ
FIFA Women's World Cup chief executive Dave Beeche has also been made a companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Beeche served as chief executive for the successful FIFA Under-20 World Cup tournament in New Zealand in 2015 and led delivery of the recent women's world cup, navigating the trans-Tasman model and Covid-19, to deliver a tournament which broke multiple records.
The tournament attendance totalled just shy of 2 million spectators across 64 matches, beating the attendance of the last world cup hosted by France.
Ali Riley of Football Ferns celebrates Photo: PHOTOSPORT
On the field, two current Football Ferns Ria Percival and Ali Riley have each been made Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Making her debut in 2007, Riley has played 155 tests for her country and was named captain in 2017.
She led the Football Ferns to its first world cup victory against Norway in 2023.
Ria Percival has racked up a record 166 appearances in her career, which began in 2006, netting 15 goals on the international stage.
Percival has suffered numerous injury setbacks in her career but remains a key cog in the side and wore the cpatain's arm band in the 2023 World Cup.
Meanwhile, veteran broadcaster Phil Gifford has been named Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to broadcasting and sports journalism.
