Who Is Sarpreet Singh, Indian-origin Player From New Zealand To Make His FIFA World Cup Debut vs Iran
New Zealand midfielder Sarpreet Singh became the first Indian-origin player to start a FIFA World Cup game.
- SportFit
- 2 min read
New Zealand played out an entertaining 2-2 draw against Iran to open their FIFA World Cup 2026 account. New Zealand midfielder Sarpreet Singh played an important role for the Kiwis, and in the proceedings he became the first Indian-origin player to start in a FIFA World Cup game.
Sarpreet was almost on the pitch for the entire game, and coach Darren Bazeley subbed him off at the stroke of 90 minutes. The 27-year-old midfielder was also involved in New Zealand's opening goal and went on to attempt three shots on the Iranian goal. The midfielder is expected to be in the starting lineup when New Zealand take on Egypt in a Group G fixture.
Who Is Sarpreet Singh, New Zealand's Indian-origin Player
Sarpreet currently plies his trade for Wellington Phoenix on loan from Serbian club FK TSC. Sarpreet played for Onehunga Sports and then came through the academy of Wellington Phoenix. He became the first Indian-origin player to appear in the Bundesliga after he signed for Bayern Munich in 2019. He replaced Phillipe Coutinho during a 6-1 win over Werder Bremen and was also a part of Bayern's Bundesliga-winning contingent in 2019-20.
His career took a sharp turn when his move to Werder Bremen collapsed in 2022, and before that, he went out on loan to FC Nurnberg in 2020-21. Predominantly an attacking midfielder, Sarpreet can also be deployed on the wings. After featuring for a couple of German clubs, Sarpreet tried his luck in Portugal and signed for Uniao de Leiria.
He eventually returned to his boyhood club this season on a loan deal from FK TSC. Sarpreet also took part in the 2018 Intercontinental Cup in Mumbai and scored one goal and assisted two in the tournament. The Kiwis eventually came third in the 4 nation competition.
Earlier, Australia's Nishan Velupillay also made his debut against Turkiye in this edition.
Published By : Anirban Sarkar
Published On: 17 June 2026 at 12:33 IST