Sarpreet Singh Makes History At 2026 FIFA World Cup, Indian-Origin New Zealand Footballer Becomes...

Last Updated:June 16, 2026, 14:39 IST

Sarpreet Singh becomes first footballer of Indian origin to start a FIFA World Cup match, starring in New Zealands 2-2 draw with Iran.

New Zealand attacking midfielder Sarpreet Singh became the first footballer of Indian origin to start a FIFA World Cup match, featuring in his team’s 2-2 draw against Iran in their group game in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Born in Auckland to Punjabi parents, the 27-year-old made his World Cup debut in the politically charged match and had several attempts on the Iranian goal. He was named in the starting XI by head coach Darren Bazeley and played almost the entire game, being substituted only in the 90th minute.

Coach Bazeley kept faith with Sarpreet until the end as Iran twice came back from a goal down to secure a 2-2 draw. Wearing the No. 10 jersey, Sarpreet registered three shots on goal, including one in the 61st minute that was kept out by the Iran goalkeeper.

He operated in central areas in New Zealand’s 4-2-3-1 formation.

New Zealand will face Egypt in their second Group G match on June 21 in Vancouver.

Two days earlier, Nishan Velupillay of Australia, another player of Indian descent, made his World Cup debut in his team’s 2-0 win over Turkiye in Vancouver, Canada. The 25-year-old winger did not start and came off the bench in the 60th minute.

Velupillay was born in Melbourne to an Anglo-Indian mother and a Malaysian father of Sri Lankan Tamil descent.

Before this edition of the FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, Vikash Dhorasoo of France was the only player of Indian descent to have played in a World Cup match. The midfielder, now 52, appeared in two group games at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where France finished runners-up.

Dhorasoo, whose forefathers had their roots in Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh, actually played only a few minutes in total across those two matches. He came off the bench in the 84th minute in France’s 0-0 draw with Switzerland on June 13, 2006. Five days later, he again appeared as a substitute, coming on in the 88th minute in the 1-1 draw against South Korea.

Sarpreet Played In India In 2018

Sarpreet also played in India during the Intercontinental Cup in 2018 in Mumbai. He faced the likes of Sunil Chhetri after making his New Zealand debut earlier that year. He was part of an U23 development side, as New Zealand did not send their first team.

Sarpreet scored against Kenya and provided both assists in New Zealand’s 2-1 win against India.

India won the title, while New Zealand finished third in the four-nation tournament.

A year later, Sarpreet became the first player of Indian descent to play in the German first division when he debuted for Bayern Munich in 2019. He joined the club from A-League side Wellington Phoenix and came on as a substitute against Werder Bremen.

Initially, Sarpreet played for Bayern’s reserve team in the third division, but his impressive performances earned him a first-team debut under then-manager Hansi Flick.

Sarpreet made his first senior start for Bayern Munich on June 20, 2020, against SC Freiburg. He was part of the squad that won the Bundesliga title in the 2019-2020 season.

After his stint in Germany, Sarpreet spent one season with Uniao de Leiria in Portugal before moving to Serbian SuperLiga side FK TSC in 2025.

This year, he returned to New Zealand, playing in the A-League for Wellington Phoenix on loan from FK TSC.

He suffered an injury in February that sidelined him for eight weeks but returned to the field in April, before being named in New Zealand’s 26-man World Cup squad. He has earned 24 international caps for New Zealand and scored three goals.

Sarpreet also represented New Zealand at the 2017 and 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cups.

Other Indian-Origin Players

Two other Indian-origin players — Samuel Moutoussamy of DR Congo and Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid of Qatar — are in their respective World Cup squads. Tahsin did not feature in Qatar’s 1-1 draw against Switzerland on June 13, and it remains to be seen whether Moutoussamy will play in DR Congo’s match against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on Wednesday.

Tahsin, who turns 20 on Tuesday, was born in Doha to Malayali parents who moved to Qatar from Kannur in 2006.

The 29-year-old Moutoussamy was born in France to a Congolese mother and an Indo-Guadeloupean father of Tamil origin. Indo-Guadeloupeans are mostly descendants of indentured workers who arrived from South India in the late 19th century.

Under FIFA rules, a player is eligible to represent a national team if a biological mother, biological father or grandparent was born in that country. The player must also hold the passport of the country he represents.

(With inputs from Agencies)

About the Author

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for over a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket conten...Read More

News sports football Sarpreet Singh Makes History At 2026 FIFA World Cup, Indian-Origin New Zealand Footballer Becomes...

Read More