The Indian connection: Four players set to make history at 2026 FIFA World Cup
New Delhi: While India's dream of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup remains unfulfilled, the 2026 edition in the Americas will still feature distinct Indian heritage. When the tournament kicks off on June 11, four players of Indian descent will take the global stage.
The quartet—Sarpreet Singh, Samuel Moutoussamy, Nishan Velupillay and Tahsin Mohammed—are following in the footsteps of former French midfielder Vikash Dhorasoo, who represented France in the 2006 World Cup in Germany and traces his lineage to Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh. Here is a spotlight on the four history-makers.
Sarpreet Singh (New Zealand)
Born in Auckland to Punjabi parents, the 27-year-old attacking midfielder is no stranger to Indian soil. He participated in the 2018 Intercontinental Cup in Mumbai, playing against Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri. During that tournament, New Zealand's development squad faced the hosts, and Sarpreet scored against Kenya while providing both assists in New Zealand's "2–1 win against India”.
In 2019, Sarpreet made history as the first player of Indian descent to feature in the Bundesliga, debuting for Bayern Munich against Werder Bremen after transferring from the Australian A-League's Wellington Phoenix. His standout performances with Bayern's reserve team earned him a promotion under manager Hansi Flick, leading to his first senior start on June 20, 2020, against SC Freiburg.
Following stints with Portugal's Uniao de Leiria and Serbia's FK TSC, he returned to the Phoenix on loan. Despite an eight-week injury setback in February, he recovered by April to secure his spot in New Zealand’s 26-man World Cup roster. Sarpreet has 24 senior caps and three international goals to his name.
Samuel Moutoussamy (DR Congo)
Born in France to an Indo-Guadeloupean father of Tamil descent and a Congolese mother, Moutoussamy represents DR Congo under FIFA eligibility rules. These regulations state that a player can represent a nation if a biological parent or grandparent was born on that territory, provided the player holds the country's passport.
The 29-year-old midfielder currently plays for Greek top-flight club Atromitos. Since making his international debut in 2019, he has earned 57 caps for DR Congo, following previous club spells with FC Nantes in France and Sivasspor in Turkey.
Nishan Velupillay (Australia)
The 25-year-old winger, born in Melbourne to an Anglo-Indian mother and a Malaysian father of Sri Lankan Tamil descent, is one of 17 World Cup debutants in the Socceroos' squad.
Velupillay rose through the youth ranks at Glen Eira FC and the Melbourne Victory academy, where he still plays domestically. He made a dream international debut in October 2024 during the World Cup qualifiers, scoring as a substitute against China. He has since earned eight caps and scored three goals for Australia.
Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid (Qatar)
Born in Doha to Malayali parents who relocated from Kannur in 2006, the winger turns 20 on June 16. Guided by his father Jamshid—a former Calicut University footballer—Tahsin developed his skills at Doha's Aspire Academy. He became the first player of Indian origin to play in the Qatar Stars League, where he turns out for Al Duhail SC.
Tahsin made his senior international debut against Afghanistan in 2024. He was on the substitute bench during Qatar's controversial "2-1 win over India" in Doha on June 11, 2024. He has also appeared in friendlies against Zimbabwe and Ireland.
Notable misses and ISL connections
Niall Mason: The 29-year-old Qatar SC defender, born to an Indian mother and American father, was named to Qatar's preliminary 34-man squad but missed the final 26-man cut.
Duckens Nazon: The former Kerala Blasters forward will represent Haiti. Nazon, now 32 and playing for Iranian club Esteghlal, played for the Blasters during the 2016 ISL season, where he scored a crucial goal in a "2-1 win over FC Pune City”. He is Haiti's all-time top scorer with 44 goals in 78 appearances.
PTI