Sarpreet Singh hopes historic World Cup debut inspires next generation

Saturday, 20 June 2026

The New Zealand midfielder reflects on what the milestone means to him, his family and the wider Sikh, Punjabi and Indian communities after making his World Cup debut in Los Angeles.

There are millions of Singhs in the world, but Sarpreet Singh is the first to play on football’s biggest stage.

The All Whites midfielder of Indian heritage made his FIFA World Cup debut as a starter in New Zealand’s 2-2 draw with Iran in Los Angeles, playing a key role in the build-up to both of Elijah Just’s goals.

Despite boasting the biggest population in the world, India has never participated at the World Cup and its national team is ranked 138th in the world.

Sarpreet Singh is the first Singh and the first Sikh footballer to play at the World Cup.

Born in Auckland to Indian parents, Singh spoke of the significance of his appearance. As well as being the first player with the surname Singh, he is also the first Sikh player to play at a World Cup.

Growing up, Singh said his Indian sporting idols were all cricket players. He hopes his appearance at the World Cup can inspire the next generation of Indian heritage footballers after getting an early glimpse of his popularity in India when the All Whites travelled there for games in 2018.

Sarpreet Singh battles for the ball with Iran's Saman Ghoddos.

“I was aware of it leading up to the first game. It means a lot to me, to my family and to my people,” Singh said.

“It’s a really proud moment and I’m very happy to be the first and hope to see many Singhs, Sikh and Punjabi and Indian heritage footballers.

“Obviously there’s a few good cricketers there, like Sachin Tendulkar back in the day. When I was younger I used to watch a lot of him. I thought he was incredible.”

It was an encouraging sign for the All Whites that the 27-year-old was heavily involved in both goals against Iran after a far from ideal build-up to the tournament.

After struggling for game time at Serbian club TSC, Singh returned to the Wellington Phoenix on loan in February. However, a knee injury in his first game limited his stint to just 75 minutes.

“It wasn’t how I planned things to go, but that’s football,” Singh reflected.

All Whites centre back Michael Boxall said stopping Egyptian stars Mo Salah and Omar Marmoush in their second World Cup match would take a team effort.

“Things always happen with injuries and whatnot. It wasn’t ideal, but as soon as I got injured I focussed on recovering and trying to be as ready as possible for the World Cup.

“We had two warm-up games here and now that I’ve got 90 minutes under my belt I feel great to be honest. I felt fit and good on the pitch, so now I can build from here.”

Singh and the All Whites continue to search for a breakthrough World Cup win after drawing with Iran in their opening game. They face Mohamed Salah’s Egypt in their second match of group G in Vancouver on Sunday (Monday NZT), knowing a win for either team would go a long way to securing a place in the knockout stages.

The All Whites faced Egypt as recently as 2024, losing 1-0 after Nando Pijnaker conceded a first-half penalty despite Singh hitting the post with a free-kick in the second.

Salah did not play in that fixture but neither did Chris Wood.

“I’ve been told some of that squad is still in that World Cup squad now, so not too much has changed,” Singh said.

“They’re an experienced team with some obviously very good players, but the most important thing for us is to focus on ourselves.

“We don’t have to fear any opposition that we play. We’re a very good team when we’re on our game, so there’s no reason to be afraid or doubt ourselves.”