Sarpreet Singh has recorded three goals and seven assists in 28 appearances for New Zealand. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Indian-origin player Sarpreet Singh has been named in the starting lineup for New Zealand’s FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Iran at the Los Angeles Stadium on Tuesday.

He is one among four Indian-origin players to feature at the quadrennial tournament in North America.

New Zealand will be competing at a World Cup for the first time since 2010 and only the third time overall.

Who is Sarpreet Singh, the Indian-origin midfielder playing for New Zealand?

Growing up in Auckland, where his parents, originally from Jalandhar, ran a grocery store, Sarpreet always loved football. Starting at the Wynrs Wynton Rufer Soccer Academy at the age of seven, he joined the Wellington Phoenix Academy in 2015.

Sarpreet was part of the New Zealand team at the U-17 Oceania Cup and U-20 World Cups, and his performance in the latter — he scored one goal as New Zealand reached the last 16 — was good enough for clubs in Europe to take note.

In 2019, Sarpreet was picked by German giant Bayern Munich, becoming the first New Zealand player since Wynton Rufer (Werder Bremen) to be signed by a Bundesliga team.

His hardest challenge came in 2020, though. Just as he was poised to break out with a transfer to newly promoted Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, Sarpreet got diagnosed with a significant osteitis pubis injury, a phase which he called the toughest of his career.

He currently plays for Wellington Phoenix in the Australian A-League.

While Sarpreet’s career in Europe has had its share of ups and downs, he’s had far more success in his national career, having been a part of the New Zealand team since 2018. He has recorded three goals and seven assists in 28 appearance for the country.

Published on Jun 16, 2026