FIFA World Cup 2026: List Of Indian-Origin Players Taking Part In The Tournament

The FIFA World Cup 2026, which starts on June 11, will be the largest-ever edition of the quadrennial tournament. Co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the event will feature an increased roster of 48 teams, which includes four debutants.

While India’s football-crazy population will be able to see the tournament on Z Group platforms, the Indian men’s team is still far from securing a place in the World Cup. This year, too, the Blue Tigers saw their qualification campaign end in the second round, which means India are not among the eight AFC teams taking part in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Despite India missing out on the tournament, the country will have some representation in North America, with multiple Indian-origin footballers taking part in the tournament. Let’s take a look at them:

Sarpreet Singh (New Zealand)

Former Bayern Munich youngster Sarpreet Singh is the most well-known Indian-origin player taking part in the upcoming World Cup. The 27-year-old New Zealand midfielder was born in Wellington to parents from Jalandhar. After a short stint with Bayern, he played across the German leagues before moving to Portugal with Uniao de Leira. He currently plays for Wellington Phoenix, on loan from Serbian side TSC.

Since making his debut in 2018, Sarpreet has won 24 caps for New Zealand. Having recovered from a serious knee injury, he will likely control the midfield for the All Whites in the World Cup.

Tahsin Jamshid (Qatar)

Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid is a 19-year-old winger who currently plays for Qatari side Al-Duhail. The youngster was named in Qatar’s final roster, having been born in the tiny Middle Eastern nation in 2006 to Malayali parents from Kerala.

Jamshid has already made history as the first Indian-origin player to feature in the Qatari Stars League, and is likely to add to his solitary national team cap in the upcoming World Cup.

Nishan Velupillay (Australia)

Melbourne Victory winger Nishan Velupillay has been named in the Australian World Cup squad. The 25-year-old player was born in Melbourne to a Malaysian father of Tamil heritage, while his mother is Anglo-Indian.

Since coming through the Melbourne Victory academy, Velupillay has played for the A-League side 128 times. He made his national team debut in a World Cup qualifying match against China and has earned six caps so far.

Samuel Moutoussamy (DR Congo)

DR Congo defensive midfielder Samuel Moutoussamy will be making his World Cup debut in 2026. The 29-year-old was born in Paris, France, to an Indo-Guadeloupean father with Tamil heritage. He opted to play for the Leopards courtesy of a Congolese mother and has earned 57 caps since 2019.

After 144 appearances for Nantes, he played in the Netherlands and Turkey. He currently plays for Greek side Atromitos. As one of the most experienced members of the Congolese side, Moutoussamy will be key for the African side as they attempt to navigate a tough group containing Portugal, Colombia, and Uzbekistan.

Honourable Mention

England-born defender Niall Mason was named in the Qatar preliminary squad. He was born in Brighton to an Indian mother. After stints with English sides, he moved to Qatar and currently plays for Qatar SC. Although Mason did not make the final squad, he will likely make his international debut in the upcoming tournaments.