Sarpreet Singh to Nishan Velupillay: Meet four Indian-origin players part of FIFA World Cup 2026

While the dream to see India at a FIFA World Cup continues, the country's love for it reaches through in other forms. The 48-team World Cup, set to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico begins today on June 11 and is the largest edition in the competition's history. India may not have its Blue Tigers on the ground, but its heritage and culture will still be represented on football's biggest stage through four players.

From Sarpreet Singh to Nishan Velupillay, four Indian-origin players are all set to kick the ball and score the goals at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Get to know them below:

Sarpreet Singh

Out of all Indian-origin players set to rock the field, Sarpreet Singh might be the most famous name on the roster. The 27-year-old was born to Indian parents in Auckland, with roots in Jalandhar, Punjab. Singh has earned 24 international caps for the All Whites as an attacking midfielder.

His family, including his parents and two older siblings ran a grocery store in New Zealand. He has often spoken about his Punjabi roots, "I’m from a very typical Punjabi family with a lot of uncles and aunties and cousins," he said to Sportstar.

He featured at the FIFA U-20 World Cups in 2017 and 2018 and also had a year-long stint with FC Bayern Munich from 2019-2020. He is currently back with Wellington Phoenix on loan from Serbian side TSC. Since making his debut in 2018, he has earned 24 international caps.

Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid

The youngest of the lost, Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid will be playing for Qatar. His father, Jamshid, belongs to Thalassery and is a former footballer who played for the University of Calicut and Kerala's sub-junior team, while his mother Shyama is from Kannur. The 19-year-old winger born in Doha on June 16, 2006, plays for Al Duhail and has represented Qatar at various youth levels. He made his Qatar debut against Afghanistan in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in 2024 and was also on the bench when Qatar beat India in Doha during the same qualifying campaign.

As per reports, he still holds an Indian passport while he has been issued a special Qatari mission passport, which allows him to represent Qatar in international football. He also made history by becoming the first Indian-origin footballer to feature in the Qatar Stars League.

Samuel Moutoussamy

Moutoussamy was born in France, plays for DR Congo and traces his roots back to India through his father who is Indo-Guadeloupean of Tamil origin. Guadeloupe is a French territory in the Caribbean where many Indians migrated to as indentured labourers in the 19th century. While he was raised in France, Moutoussamy chose to play for DR Congo through his mother's Congolese roots. The 29-year-old midfielder has represented the African nation's senior national team 57 times.

Nishan Velupillay

One of the most exciting wingers for Melbourne Victory and Australia, Nishan Velupillay has emerged as a young talent set to make his debut at the FIFA World Cup. The 25-year-old was born in Melbourne on May 7, 2001. His father, Sasinath Velupillay is of Sri Lankan Tamil heritage while his mother, Gillian, is Anglo-Indian. He first shot to fame with his goal on his international debut against China during the World Cup qualifiers and has since played seven more games for the senior Australian men's football team, scoring three goals in total.