indian-origin players fifa
As the tournament kicks off on June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, four players of Indian heritage will take to the field for their respective nations. They carry different passports, speak different languages, and were shaped by different football ecosystems, but somewhere in each of their stories, a thread connects them back to India.
Nishan Velupillay: The Socceroo from Melbourne indian-origin players fifa
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For Indian-Australians, one name rises above all.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Nishan Velupillay carries Tamil heritage through his father, who is of Sri Lankan Tamil descent with Malaysian roots, and his mother, who is Anglo-Indian. He made his senior international debut in October 2024 during Australia’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign and has since earned seven caps, scoring three goals in qualifying matches.
His selection marks a milestone for both Australian football and the global South Asian diaspora, as he will be the first footballer of Tamil heritage to compete at a FIFA World Cup.
Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid: The 19-year-old representing Qatar
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Tahsin was born in Doha in 2006, but his father is from Thalassery, and his mother is from Valapattanam in the Kannur district of Kerala.
Even more exciting is Tahsin reportedly holds an Indian passport, alongside a special Qatari mission passport for international sports, making him the first Indian passport holder to play at a FIFA World Cup. At just 19 years old, the Al-Duhail winger is one of the youngest players inthis year’s tournament.
His path to the national team was laid at the Qatar’s Aspire Academy, an elite youth development program built to identify and grow world-class talent. He is also the first player of Indian-Malayali origin to make it to a men’s World Cup squad.
Sarpreet Singh: The Punjabi who played at Bayern
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Sarpreet Singh is the most widely known player of the four. Named in New Zealand’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 27-year-old Auckland-born midfielder is the first Punjabi heritage footballer to play at the tournament.
His parents are from Jalandhar, and he grew up in Auckland. His breakthrough season with Wellington Phoenix secured him a position within FC Bayern Munich, and in 2019 he became the first player of Indian descent to play in the Bundesliga. He was part of the Bayern squad that won the 2019-20 Bundesliga title.
Away from football, Singh has spoken often about his deep connection to Indian cricket, citing Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli as heroes he grew up admiring in a traditional Punjabi household. For him, the 2026 World Cup is more than a tournament- it is the result of a journey that began on football fields in Auckland..
Samuel Moutoussamy: The legend in DR Congo’s colours
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The fourth player on this list carries a connection to India that is the most different.
Born in France, a country known for one of the most competitive football ecosystems in the world, Samuel Moutoussamy’s father is of Indo-Guadeloupean heritage, a community descended from South Indian indentured labourers who were shipped to the Caribbean under the British colonial system in the late 19th century, and his mother is Congolese.
The 29-year-old midfielder represents DR Congo (commonly called Les Léopards) internationally and has earned over 50 caps with the national team after his debut in 2019. Known for his discipline, consistency and hard work, he currently plays for Atromitos in the Greek Super League.
At the 2026 World Cup, Moutoussamy will be seen in the colors of DR Congo’s national football team as the country marks their historic return to the world stage.
The Indian Super League (ISL) Connection
The World Cup will also feature a familiar face for ISL followers. Haiti striker Duckens Nazon, who played for Kerala Blasters during the 2016 ISL season, has been named in Haiti’s squad for the tournament. Now 32, Nazon is Haiti’s all-time leading scorer with 44 goals in 76 appearances.
The 20-year drought is over
Before these four players, only one footballer of Indian origin had ever appeared at a men’s FIFA World Cup. Vikash Dhorasoo, whose family roots trace back to Andhra Pradesh via Mauritius, represented France at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, making substitute appearances in the group stage as part of a squad that reached the final.
Since then, no player of Indian heritage has featured on football’s grandest stage.
But the two-decade drought is now over.
India may not be on the official team list of 2026, but Indian heritage will vibrantly come alive on the pitch across North America.
After twenty long years, that is a moment worth celebrating.
