Sarpreet Singh Becomes First Player of Indian Origin to Start a FIFA World Cup Match
Sarpreet Singh, a 27-year-old player born in Auckland to Punjabi parents, became the first player of Indian origin to start a FIFA World Cup match. He played for New Zealand in their 2-2 draw with Iran, wearing the No. 10 jersey and taking three shots, according to reports from theprint.in and timesofindia. He was substituted in the 90th minute, as reported by theprint.in. Singh said his World Cup
Sarpreet Singh, a 27-year-old player born in Auckland to Punjabi parents, became the first player of Indian origin to start a FIFA World Cup match. He played for New Zealand in their 2-2 draw with Iran, wearing the No. 10 jersey and taking three shots, according to theprint.in and timesofindia. He was substituted in the 90th minute, as reported by theprint.in. Singh said his World Cup appearance means a lot to his people, family, and community, according to dawn. He hopes his appearance will help future players of South Asian heritage reach the World Cup, according to dawn. Other players of Indian origin at the 2026 World Cup include Nishan Velupillay (Australia), Samuel Moutoussamy (DR Congo), and Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid (Qatar), according to timesofindia. India qualified for the 1950 World Cup but withdrew from the tournament, according to dawn.
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