EXCLUSIVE | A moment of pride for Indians: New Zealand's Sarpreet Singh vows to make a mark at FIFA World Cup 2026

While Indian football fans' dreams of seeing the Blue Tigers at a FIFA World Cup still proves to be a distant dream, Indian-origin players are making mark at the 2026 edition. One such player is New Zealand's midfielder Sarpreet Singh, who became just the latest player of Indian origin to play a FIFA World Cup match.

He did so during New Zealand's FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Iran in California on Monday, and played 92 minutes before being subbed out. France's Vikash Dhorasoo was the first-ever player of Indian origin at the FIFA World Cup, having played a total of eight minutes in the 2006 edition.

Competing at the FIFA World Cup for the third time in their history, New Zealand named Auckland-born Sarpreet, with strong Indian roots, into their final roster - a connection that deeply strikes a chord with the Indian supporters.

“The coach (Darren Bazeley) came down to Wellington to speak with all the New Zealand players,” Sarpreet had told Livemint exclusively in a virtual interaction from Miami before the FIFA World Cup started. “When he told me I was selected, it was such a special and proud moment because the last few months have been tough (with injuries). It was a nice reward at the end of hard work,” added Sarpreet, whose parents are originally from Jalandhar, Punjab.

Journey from local clubs to top

In a country more famous for its cricket and rugby, Sarpreet enjoyed football the most. It was his mother Sarabjit, who put her younger son at the Wynrs Wynton Rufer Soccer academy when he was seven. At a time when most Indian parents would want their children to focus on education and make a stable income source, Sarabjit would drive her son to training, a support that not every Punjabi kid got, according to Sarpreet.

Having developed himself at local clubs Papatoetoe and Onehunga Sports, Sarpreet, in 2015, joined the Wellington Phoenix FC academy — a turning point in his career. Sarpreet impressed on his senior debut for Wellington Phoenix FC at 16 and established himself as one of the brightest prospects in the Australian A-League.

His impressive show for New Zealand at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2019 earned him a three-year deal with German Bundesliga side Bayern Munich. Post that, Sarpreet plied his trade at FC Nürnberg, SSV Jahn Regensburg, FC Hansa Rostock, União de Leiria and Serbian club FK TSC before returning to Wellington Phoenix in 2026 on loan.

‘Huge moment of pride’

Carrying his Indian roots to the FIFA World Cup 2026 while donning a New Zealand jersey isn't pressure for Sarpreet. Instead, he calls it a matter of pride and is aware of the responsibility that comes with it. “I don't say it's added pressure. I just want to do my best to lift the names of Indian people, and there is no better stage to do it than the World Cup,” Sarpreet remarked.

“I see it as a responsibility to do my best and even inspire the next generation. It is important for me to prepare well. I don't need to take any added pressure,” added Sarpreet, a fan of his mother's home-cooked food.

At the FIFA World Cup 2026, New Zealand are drawn in Group G alongside Iran, Egypt and Belgium. In fact, the Kiwis are the lowest-ranked team in the group at 85th. Iran (21st), Egypt (29th) and Belgium (9th) are way above Sarpreet and Co. “It's a good and exciting group and we are looking forward to the challenge,” said Sarpreet when asked about the task at hand.

“We have been working on this for quite some time and have this belief within our team that we can deliver something special. Our first goal is to win some games. That's our main target,” he added. In six games overall in two World Cups — 1982 and 2010 — New Zealand are yet to register a win.

'We don't have anything to be afraid of'

While the All Whites lost all in 1982 in Spain, they drew all in South Africa in 2010. “The first game is very important and is the base for the rest of the games coming up,” Sarpreet opined. “We don't have anything to be afraid of. We believe in ourselves and are a pretty connected group,” he added.

With a major chunk of the squad in the age group 23 to 28, defender Tommy Smith and forward Chris Wood will be making history as the only New Zealanders to play in two FIFA World Cups. Both Wood and Smith were a part of the 2010 squad too.

“They are the two main leaders of our squad. They have a lot of experience playing at a very high level. I think it is very important to have such players in the group,” he said. Certainly, an Indian flag will be secretly flying high at the sport's grandest stage through Sarpreet.

New Zealand will next play Egypt and Belgium on 22 June and 27 June, with both matches taking place in Vancouver.

(Get all FIFA World Cup 2026 updates here)