Four Indian-origin players at the FIFA World Cup 2026 are giving Indian fans a meaningful connection to football’s biggest tournament, even though India did not qualify.
The expanded 48-team competition began on Thursday, June 11, 2026, and is being hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Sarpreet Singh, Tahsin Jamshid, Samuel Moutoussamy and Nishan Velupillay are representing four different national teams, each with its own notable football history.
Watch: Indian-Origin Players at FIFA World Cup 2026
See how four footballers with Indian roots are representing New Zealand, Qatar, DR Congo and Australia on football’s biggest stage.
Who Are the Four Indian-Origin Players at FIFA World Cup 2026?
Sarpreet Singh — New Zealand
New Zealand midfielder Sarpreet Singh was born to Indian parents with roots in Punjab. He represents an All Whites team remembered for an unusual World Cup achievement.
New Zealand drew all three of its matches at the 2010 World Cup and finished as the tournament’s only unbeaten team, despite being eliminated during the group stage.
Tahsin Jamshid — Qatar
Qatar forward Tahsin Jamshid has family roots in Kerala and was selected for the national team’s second World Cup appearance.
Qatar arrives at the tournament with major recent continental success. The team won the AFC Asian Cup in 2019 before successfully defending its title at the 2023 edition, whose final was played in February 2024.
Samuel Moutoussamy — DR Congo
DR Congo midfielder Samuel Moutoussamy traces part of his ancestry to the Tamil community through his Indo-Guadeloupean father.
He represents a country with a proud African football history. DR Congo won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1968 and again in 1974, when the country competed under the name Zaire.
Nishan Velupillay — Australia
Australia winger Nishan Velupillay has South Asian heritage through his family, including an Anglo-Indian mother.
He joins an Australian team whose best World Cup performances came in 2006 and 2022, when the Socceroos advanced to the Round of 16.
Indian Roots Across Four World Cup Teams
The four players are representing New Zealand, Qatar, DR Congo and Australia—not India. Their presence nevertheless reflects how Indian and South Asian heritage has become part of international football across several continents.
Their journeys also offer Indian diaspora audiences in the United States and elsewhere a personal reason to follow four accomplished national teams during the FIFA World Cup 2026.
