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New Zealand attacking midfielder Sarpreet Singh became the archetypal footballer of Indian root to commencement a FIFA World Cup match successful his team's 2-2 gully against Iran successful their radical lucifer successful Los Angeles connected Tuesday (June 16, 2026).
Born successful Auckland to Punjabi parents, the 27-year-old Sarpreet made his World Cup debut successful the politically-charged lucifer and had a fewer attempts astatine the Iranian goal. He was named successful the starting XI by caput manager Darren Bazeley and played astir the full match, substituted lone successful the 90th minute.
New Zealand manager Bazeley kept religion successful Sarpreet till the extremity arsenic Iran came backmost doubly from a extremity down to play retired a 2-2 draw. Wearing No. 10 jersey, Sarpreet had 3 shots astatine the Iranian goal, including 1 successful the 61st infinitesimal which, however, could not bushed the Iran goalkeeper.
He operated successful the mediate of the parkland successful New Zealand's 4-2-3-1 formation. New Zealand look Egypt successful their 2nd Group G lucifer connected June 21 successful Vancouver.
Two days back, Nishan Velupillay of Australia, different subordinate of Indian descent, made his World Cup debut successful his team's 2-0 triumph implicit Turkiye successful Vancouver, Canada. The 25-year-old winger was not successful the starting line-up and came successful from the seat successful the 60th minute.
Velupillay was calved successful Melbourne to an Anglo-Indian parent and a Malaysian begetter of Sri Lankan Tamil descent.
Before this variation of the FIFA World Cup jointly hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, Vikash Dhorasoo of France was the lone subordinate of Indian descent to person played a World Cup game. The midfielder, present 52 years old, played 2 radical matches successful the 2006 World Cup successful Germany wherever France finished runners-up.
But Dhorasoo, whose forefathers had their roots successful Vizianagaram successful Andhra Pradesh, really played conscionable a fewer minutes combined successful the 2 matches. He came successful from the seat successful the 84th infinitesimal successful France's 0-0 gully against Switzerland connected June 13, 2006. Five days later, Dhorasoo came successful arsenic a substitute successful the 88th infinitesimal successful the 1-1 gully against South Korea.
Sarpreet played successful India successful 2018
Sarpreet adjacent played successful India during the Intercontinental Cup successful 2018 successful Mumbai. He played against the likes of Sunil Chhetri aft making his NZ debut earlier that year. He was portion of a U23 improvement side, arsenic New Zealand did not nonstop the archetypal team.
Sarpreet scored against Kenya and provided some the assists successful New Zealand's 2–1 triumph against India. India won the rubric portion NZ finished 3rd successful the four-nation tournament.
One twelvemonth later, Sarpreet became the archetypal subordinate of Indian descent to play successful the German archetypal part league erstwhile helium debuted for Bayern Munich successful 2019. He joined the nine from Australian A-League broadside Wellington Phoenix. He came connected arsenic a substitute against Werder Bremen.
Initially, Sarpreet was with Bayern's reserve squad successful the 3rd division, but his awesome performances earned him a first-team debut nether then-manager Hansi Flick.
Sarpreet made his archetypal elder commencement for Bayern Munich connected June 20, 2020, against SC Freiburg. He was portion of the squad that won the Bundesliga rubric successful 2019-2020 season.
After his stint successful Germany, Sarpreet was with Uniao de Leiria successful Portugal for 1 play earlier moving to Serbian SuperLiga broadside FK TSC successful 2025.
This year, helium returned to New Zealand, playing successful the A-League for Phoenix connected indebtedness from FK TSC.
He suffered an wounded successful February, sidelining him for 8 weeks but returned connected the tract successful April earlier making the New Zealand World Cup squad of 26. He has earned 24 planetary caps for NZ and scored 3 times.
Sarpreet besides played for New Zealand astatine the 2017 and 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cups.
Two different Indian-origin players
Two much Indian-origin players — Samuel Moutoussamy of DR Congo and Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid of Qatar— are successful their respective World Cup squads. Tahsin did not play successful Qatar's 1-1 gully against Switzerland connected June 13, portion it volition person to beryllium seen whether Moutoussamy features successful DR Congo's lucifer against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal connected Wednesday (June 17).
Tahsin, who turns 20 connected Tuesday (June 16), was calved successful Doha to Malayali parents, who moved to Qatar from Kannur successful 2006.
The 29-year-old Moutoussamy was calved successful France to a Congolese parent and Indo-Guadeloupean begetter of Tamil origin. Indo-Guadeloupeans are mostly descendants of indentured workers who came mostly from South India successful the precocious 19th century.
Under FIFA rules, a subordinate is eligible to play for a nationalist squad if a biologic mother, biologic father, oregon grandparent was calved connected that country's territory. The subordinate should besides clasp the passport of the state helium is representing.
