it celebrated Indian heritage on the global football stage.
Sarpreet Singh made football history as he was in the starting 11 for New Zealand in their opening World Cup match against Iran.
Singh, who is of Punjabi heritage, was central to New Zealand’s first goal, linking effectively with Elijah Just and captain Chris Wood. Just eventually finished the move to put New Zealand ahead.
Singh was substituted in the 92nd minute and replaced by Jesse Randall.
The thrilling match finished 2-2 but on a wider scale, it celebrated Indian heritage on the global football stage.
Born in Auckland on February 20, 1999, he currently plays for Wellington Phoenix on loan from Serbian side TSC.
His parents originally came from Jalandhar in Punjab and previously ran a grocery store in Auckland.
Singh began his football journey with Onehunga Sports before joining Wellington Phoenix in 2015. His rise accelerated after he impressed at youth level in the A-League.
In 2019, Bayern Munich scouts noticed him during the FIFA U20 World Cup and he eventually signed a three-year deal.
Singh made history when he became the first Indian-origin player to feature in the Bundesliga, coming on during a 6-1 win over Werder Bremen.
His European career included loans to FC Nürnberg and SSV Jahn Regensburg. A registration error at Regensburg delayed his return to competitive football until January 2023. He also missed potential Bundesliga progress due to osteitis pubis complications.
Later spells included time at Hansa Rostock and Portuguese club União de Leiria. He joined TSC before returning to Wellington Phoenix on loan.
Singh made his senior New Zealand debut in 2018 against Canada.
His first international goal came against Kenya at the 2018 Intercontinental Cup in Mumbai. Singh also provided two assists in a 2-1 win over India during the same tournament.
Singh’s World Cup appearance is a showcase of the Indian diaspora shining on the world stage.
It also raises questions over India’s continued absence from the World Cup, despite the tournament expanding to 48 countries.
Despite football being played across the country for over a century and having a population of over 1 billion, the national team has consistently failed to progress through Asian qualifying campaigns.
India qualified on one occasion, in 1950, but they withdrew due to a combination of travel costs, lack of preparation and the federation’s decision to prioritise the Olympic Games.
More than seven decades later, the country is still searching for a place among football’s elite but players of Indian origin are competing for other nations.
Sarpreet Singh’s appearance is a historic moment for the Indian community but he is not the only Indian-origin player at the World Cup.
Before the 2026 edition, Vikash Dhorasoo represented France in 2006 and made two short substitute appearances.
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