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New Zealand's Sarpreet becomes first player of Indian ... - ThePrint Home Sport New Zealand's Sarpreet becomes first player of Indian origin to start a... Sport New Zealand’s Sarpreet becomes first player of Indian origin to start a FIFA World Cup match Philem Dipak Singh 16 June, 2026 01:45 pm IST Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Linkedin Follow Us : Text Size: A- A+ New Delhi, Jun 16 (PTI) New Zealand attacking midfielder Sarpreet Singh became the first footballer of Indian origin to start a FIFA World Cup match in his team’s 2-2 draw against Iran in their group match in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Born in Auckland to Punjabi parents, the 27-year-old Sarpreet made his World Cup debut in the politically-charged match and had a few attempts at the Iranian goal. He was named in the starting XI by head coach Darren Bazeley and played almost the whole match, substituted only in the 90th minute. New Zealand coach Bazeley kept faith on Sarpreet till the end as Iran came back twice from a goal down to play out a 2-2 draw. Wearing No. 10 jersey, Sarpreet had three shots at the Iranian goal, including one in the 61st minute which, however, could not beat the Iran goalkeeper. Show Full Article He ope…

Who is Sarpreet? First Indian origin player to start a FIFA World Cup match New Zealand's Sarpreet Singh became the first player of Indian origin to start a FIFA World Cup match, playing nearly the full game in a 2-2 draw with Iran. Born to Punjabi parents, the 27-year-old previously made history with Bayern Munich. Other Indian-origin players at the tournament include Australia's Nishan Velupillay, DR Congo's Samuel Moutoussamy and Qatar's Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid.

New Zealand's Sarpreet Singh proud to blaze a trail for Sikh community at World Cup <p>New Zealand midfielder Sarpreet Singh hopes his appearance at the World Cup can pave the way for other players of South Asian heritage to reach the game’s biggest stage.</p> <p>The 27-year-old became the first Sikh to play at a World Cup when he took the field in New Zealand’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2008261/iran-begin-fraught-world-cup-with-2-2-new-zealand-draw">2-2 draw</a> with Iran in Los Angeles in their opener.</p> <p>“It means a lot to me, it means a lot to my people, my family, my community,” he told reporters at the team’s hotel in San Diego, California on Thursday.</p> <p>“I’m very happy to be the first, and pave the way for the rest of them coming through,” he said.</p> <p>“I hope to see many more Singhs and Sikhs and Punjabi footballers coming through, and Indian heritage footballers.”</p> <p>India have never played at a World Cup, though they qualified for the 1950 tournament in Brazil when other Asian nations withdrew from qualifying. India ended up pulling out of the tournament due to financial concerns.</p> <p>Several players with Indian heritage are representing other…

Sarpreet Singh becomes first Indian-origin starter in FIFA ... - myKhel Los Angeles, June 17: New Zealand midfielder Sarpreet Singh etched his name into football history after becoming the first player of Indian origin to start a FIFA World Cup match. The 27-year-old featured in New Zealand's Group G clash against Iran at the FIFA World Cup, marking a significant milestone for footballers with Indian heritage on the sport's biggest stage. The match, played in Los Angeles, ended in an entertaining 2-2 draw as Iran twice came from behind to deny New Zealand a famous victory. Singh, deployed in a central attacking role wearing the iconic No. 10 jersey, started the contest and remained on the pitch until the 90th minute. Born in Auckland to Punjabi parents, Singh's World Cup debut carried added significance. New Zealand head coach Darren Bazeley showed his faith in the midfielder by naming him in the starting XI for one of the team's most important matches in recent years. Operating as the creative hub in New Zealand's 4-2-3-1 formation, Singh was heavily involved in attacking moves and registered three attempts on goal. One of his most notable efforts came in the 61st minute as Ne…

FIFA World Cup 2026: Sarpreet Singh becomes first player of Indian origin ... Updated On:16 June, 2026 05:05 PM IST|Mumbai|mid-day online correspondent During the match, New Zealand's attacking midfielder Sarpreet Singh became the first footballer of Indian origin to start in a FIFA World Cup match. He was born in Auckland to Punjabi parents and also had a few attempts at the Iranian goal Sarpreet Singh (Pic: AFP) TheFIFA World Cup 2026match between Iran and New Zealand ended in a 2-2 draw at the Los Angeles Stadium in California. During the match, New Zealand's attacking midfielder Sarpreet Singh became the first footballer of Indian origin to start in a FIFA World Cup match. He was born in Auckland to Punjabi parents and also had a few attempts at the Iranian goal. How do you like the new new mid-day.com experience?Share your feedbackand help us improve. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT

New Zealand's Sarpreet becomes first player of Indian origin to start a FIFA World Cup match Born in Auckland to Punjabi parents, the 27-year-old Sarpreet made his World Cup debut in the politically-charged match and had a few attempts at the Iranian goal

Meet Sarpreet Singh: Indian-origin New Zealand World Cup star whose ... Sarpreet Singh starred for New Zealand in their thrilling 2-2 draw against Iran intheir first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Los Angeles Stadium, thus joining the list of Indian-origin players at the tournament this year, the others being Qatar’s Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid, DR Congo’s Samuel Moutoussamy and Australia’s Nishan Velupillay. Sarpreet had a major role to play in New Zealand’s first goal, with Elijah Just exchanging passes with him and captain Chris Wood before putting the ball into the back of the net. He was taken off in the 92nd minute of the match, being replaced by Jesse Randall. Born in Auckland, New Zealand on February 20, 1999, Sarpreet currently plays for Wellington Phoenix, on loan from Serbian club TSC. Sarpreet’s parents hail fromJalandhar, Punjab, and ran a grocery store in Auckland. The 27-year-old played for Onehunga Sports in his youth before signing for Wellington Phoenix in 2015. He played with the A-League team till 2019, when he was spotted by scouts for Bayern Munich while playing for New Zealand at the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup. It was announced in July 2019 that Sarpree…

FIFA 2026 | Meet Sarpreet Singh - 27-year-old becomes first Indian ... FIFA 2026 | Born to Indian origin parents hailing from Jalandhar, Sarpeet rose through ranks with consistent display through age-group football in New Zealand. The Day 5 (Jun 14) of ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 saw four drawn games between eight teams and amid all that, one Indian origin player quietly became the headline in the 1.5-billion strong country. Playing for New Zealand vs Iran in Group G match at LA Stadium in Ingelwood, USA, Sarpreet Singh became another Indian origin player to play inFIFA 2026. He did not manage to score a goal in the2-2 drawbut was impressive during his time on the pitch before being subbed at the start of injury time post completion of the 90-minute period. The footballer was born on Feb 20, 1999 and raised in Auckland to Indian parents who migrated to New Zealand from India's Jalandhar - a prominent city in the Northern state of Punjab. The parents ran a grocery stor as Sarpeet found his passion for football. He joined Wynrs Wynton Rufer Soccer Academy at the age of seven before switching to Wellington Phoenix Academy in 2015. He had also represented New Zealand in U-17 Ocenia…