On 10 May 2010, Brown was named in New Zealand's final 23-man squad of which he is vice-captain to compete at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. However Brown sustained a fractured humerus after landing on it awkwardly in a tackle with Vince Grella during a friendly match against Australia on 24 May 2010. Brown had surgery on 27 May in which three screws were inserted to strengthen and support the broken bone. The surgery was a success, but a considerable loss of match fitness during his recovery period coupled with consistent good performances by teammates Ivan Vicelich and Simon Elliott prevented Brown from making an appearance in New Zealand's historic World Cup 2010 finals campaign.