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The Live Sport Bible is here!Sarpreet Singh’s defining moments before World Cup selection
Savannah Lendich Jonkers • May 15th, 2026 4:25 pm
New Zealand's Sarpreet Singh does his best to evade Fiji's Filipe Baravilala | Photo: Marty Melville/AAP
Wellington Phoenix midfielder Sarpreet Singh describes being named in the All Whites FIFA World Cup squad as a ‘huge honour’ following injury triumph.
The 27-year-old told Sport Nation’s Studs Up! Podcast that coach Darren Bazeley travelled to attend a Phoenix training where he told Singh he was selected.
“It was obviously a very proud moment and I was very pleased when he told me I was selected.”
On the bounce back from an MCL injury in February, Singh made it a priority to get back on the pitch, giving himself the best shot at World Cup selection.
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“Obviously when I did have my injury, I knew the timeframe around that and I was doing everything I could every day to try and speed up the process with it.
“I managed to come back in time and now I've given myself over eight, nine weeks to get myself fully fit and firing before the first game.
“Since the last game, I've been training throughout and I'm just upping my workload week by week.”
And being just four weeks away from the first game, Singh said “I’m exactly where I planned and where I need to be.”
“It's been a tough journey. There's been a lot of ups and downs throughout my career but with me, all I pride myself on is working hard and I believe that the rewards will come when you work hard.
“There's a lot of hard work and sacrifices and when you get the reward at the end of the day, there's no better feeling.”
But now, Singh insists his injury is no longer at the top of his priority list.
The All Whites celebrate their qualification for FIFA World Cup 2026 | Photo: Shane Wenzlick/Photosport
“I see a lot of responsibility with this (World Cup selection), with putting on this (All Whites) shirt and I'll do everything I can to help the team and help the country.”
So while being named is an honour, Singh feels a great sense of responsibility to represent the fern to a high standard.
“It's going to be a real challenge and one that we're excited for, one that we are ready for and I think this group that we've got together is a real special group and I firmly believe that we can create history.
“And obviously at the end of your career, you can look back on it and say you've gone to the World Cup and so for now my focus is just to prepare, but it's really a dream come true.”
Listen to the full interview below:
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