New Zealand's Sarpreet Singh became the first player of Indian origin to start a FIFA World Cup match, playing nearly the full game in a 2-2 draw with Iran. Born to Punjabi parents, the 27-year-old previously made history with Bayern Munich.

Other Indian-origin players at the tournament include Australia's Nishan Velupillay, DR Congo's Samuel Moutoussamy and Qatar's Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid.