Rufer, 47, is a member of the New Zealand and Maori Sports Hall of Fames, Oceania's player of the century, and the International Football Federation's (FIFA) player of the decade for the 1990s as well as making FIFA's list of 100 legends of the game in 2004.
The former striker for FC Grashoppers (Switzerland) and Werder Bremen (Germany) among others, Rufer is FIFA's ambassador against racism as well as a member of its players' committee alongside fellow legends such as Franz Beckenbauer, Michel Platini and Sir Bobby Charlton.
In the past decade, Rufer, a devout Christian, has been running his Wyners football academy based in Auckland, "chipping away to discover another (current All Whites skipper) Ryan Nelsen or Wynton Rufer" as he puts it.
"I am very grateful for the recognition -- I know a lot of people have been nominating me every year because of my working with their kids and their youth for the past 11 years -- it's very nice to be recognised.
"The CNZM is definitely right up there with awards such as entry into the Maori Sports Hall of Fame and the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame."
" I am just passionate about what I do. I am driven by the faith that I have as a Christian -- those are the things that are really ticking in my life," said Rufer who also paid tribute to wife, Lisa, and sons Caleb and Joshua for their support.
"I am blessed with a wonderful family," he said.
While happy to pass on the value of hard work, commitment, passion and a never give-up attitude to youths in his programme which also extended to schools in Otara and Mangere, Rufer did not discount a return to coaching a professional club as he once did with the Auckland-based professional club, Football Kingz.
"With my academy running smoothly now, I could go back to it," Rufer said.
