Peng Xinli was considered a technically gifted player as a youngster and was sent out to Ligue 2 side FC Metz by the Chengdu Football Association to study and practice abroad for two months.

[7] The following season Peng would continue to struggle to establish himself within the team, however he would scored his first and second goal for the club in the 2013 Chinese FA Cup in which Guangzhou beat China League Two side Dali Ruilong 7-1 on 10 July 2013 a day before he was loaned back to Chengdu.

[14] On 6 December 2019, Peng won the 2019 Chinese FA Cup with Shenhua in his debut season, after a 3-0 home win and aggregated score of 3-1 against Shandong Luneng.

On 7 July 2023, due to a lack of playing time at Shenhua, Peng joined fellow Chinese Super League club Qingdao Hainiu on loan for the remainder of the season.

He made his debut for Chinese national team on 26 March 2018 in a 4–1 loss against Czech Republic in 2018 China Cup, coming on as a substitution for Fan Xiaodong in the 72nd minute.