The Indian Football team has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Their only qualification came in 1950, when India had to withdraw from the tournament due to financial and logistical issues. Now, with the FIFA World Cup 2026 all set to kick off on June 11 in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, let’s dive into this photo collection and find out about the Indian-origin player who will feature in the tournament.
Four Indian-Origin Footballers Set to Feature At FIFA World Cup 2026
1. Sarpreet Singh
Sarpreet Sing was born in Auckland to Punjabi parents. He also represented India during the Intercontinental Cup in 2018 in Mumbai. Sarpreeet made his debut for New Zealand earlier this year. Sarpreet Singh scripted history in 2019 when he became the first footballer of Indian origin to feature in Germany’s top-flight league.
The attacking midfielder moved from Wellington Phoenix to Bayern Munich and made his Bundesliga debut as a substitute against Werder Bremen. He was part of the Bayern reserve side. Singh earned opportunities under coach Hansi Flick as he made his debut against SC Freiburg in June 2020.
Sarpreet Singh spent a season with Portuguese club Uniao de Leiria, following his stint in Germany. Later, he moved to Serbia SuperLiga FK TSC in 2025. Earlier this year, the midfielder returned to familiar surroundings, joining Wellington Phoenix on loan from FK TSC for the A-League campaign.
Sampreet sustained an injury in February, which kept him out of action for nearly two months. However, Singh made a strong comeback as he has been included in New Zealand’s 26-member squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
2. Samuel Moutoussamy
Samuel Moutoussamy, who has been named in DR Congo’s 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026, was born in France. He is the son of a Congolese mother and an Indo-Guadeloupean father of Tamil heritage. The Indo-Guadeloupean community migrated from South India to the Caribbean during the late 19th century.
Moutoussamy cleared the eligibility criteria to qualify for DR Congo through his family lineage under FIFA’s nationality regulations. He made his senior international debut in 2019 and has since become a regular presence in the national setup.
The 29-year-old midfielder currently plies his trade with Greek Super League side Atromitos. Over the course of his club career, he has also featured for French outfit FC Nantes and Turkish club Sivasspor, gaining valuable experience across European football.
3. Nishan Velupillay
Australian winger Nishan Velupillay is all set to feature in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be his first appearance in the tournament. Velupillay’s mother is an Anglo-Indian, while his father is of Malaysian and Sri Lankan Tamil ancestry.
The 25-year-old was born and raised in Melbourne. He began his football development at Glen Eira FC before progressing through the Melbourne Victory youth system.
Velupillay made his senior debut for Australia in October 2024 during the World Cup qualifying campaign. Coming off the bench against China, he marked the occasion with a goal. Since then, he has added seven more appearances for the national team and has scored three goals, all of which have come in World Cup qualifiers.
Note: Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid Mason was named in Qatar’s preliminary 34-man WC squad, but he was excluded from the final 26-man roster. Jamshid was born in England to an Indian mother and an American father.
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