Meet the four Indian-origin players representing four nations at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

India's wait for a FIFA World Cup appearance continues, but the 2026 tournament will still carry a distinct Indian connection. The expanded 48-team World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, begins on June 11 and will be the largest edition in the competition's history. India, however, will not be among the participants after finishing third in Group A of the second round of the AFC qualifiers, behind Qatar and Kuwait, and failing to advance to the next stage.It extends a long-standing absence from football's biggest tournament. India famously qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup after all of their Asian qualifying rivals withdrew, but the All India Football Federation ultimately pulled the team out before the tournament began. Since then, the Indian men's national team has never appeared at a FIFA World Cup tournament. Yet while the Blue Tigers will not be travelling to North America, Indian heritage will still be represented on the global stage through several players set to feature for other nations. From New Zealand and Australia to Qatar and DR Congo, a small but significant group of footballers with Indian roots are preparing to compete at the biggest tournament in the sport. Among the most recognisable Indian-origin players at the tournament is New Zealand midfielder Sarpreet Singh. The 27-year-old was born in Wellington to parents from Jalandhar, Punjab, and has long been regarded as one of New Zealand's most technically gifted midfielders. Singh first rose to international attention when Bayern Munich signed him in 2019 after impressing for Wellington Phoenix. Following spells in Germany and Portugal, including time with Bayern Munich's system and Portuguese club União de Leiria, Singh is currently back with Wellington Phoenix on loan from Serbian side TSC. Since making his senior debut for New Zealand in 2018, he has earned 24 international caps. After overcoming a serious knee injury that threatened to derail his progress, Singh is expected to play an important role in midfield as the All Whites return to the World Cup. For many Indian football fans, he is likely to be the most familiar face carrying Indian heritage into the tournament. One of the youngest players with Indian roots heading to the World Cup is Qatar winger Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid. Born in Doha on June 16, 2006, the 19-year-old is the son of Jamshid and Shaima, who moved to Qatar from Kannur, Kerala, in 1996. His father, currently an accountant in Qatar, also has a footballing background and previously represented the University of Calicut in Kerala. Tahsin developed through Qatar's renowned Aspire Academy system before joining Al Duhail, where he emerged as one of the country's brightest young attacking prospects. Described as a quick, direct and impactful winger, he has already represented Qatar at senior, Under-23, Under-20 and youth levels. He made his senior international debut during a World Cup qualifier against Afghanistan and was subsequently included in Qatar's final World Cup squad. Tahsin had already made history by becoming the first Indian-origin footballer to feature in the Qatar Stars League. The World Cup now offers another opportunity to add a significant milestone to an already remarkable early career. Australia's squad also contains a player with strong South Asian roots in Melbourne Victory winger Nishan Velupillay. The 25-year-old was born in Melbourne on May 7, 2001. His father, Sasinath Velupillay, is Malaysian with Sri Lankan Tamil heritage, while his mother, Gillian, is Anglo-Indian. A product of Melbourne Victory's academy system, Velupillay has become an established figure for the A-League club, making 128 appearances for the Australian side. His rise at international level has been equally impressive. He made his senior Australia debut during a World Cup qualifier against China and marked the occasion by scoring on his first appearance. Since then, he has become a regular part of the Socceroos setup and has earned six international caps. His inclusion in Australia's World Cup squad means he is set to become one of the most prominent footballers of Tamil heritage ever to appear on football's biggest stage. Another player carrying Indian ancestry into the tournament is DR Congo midfielder Samuel Moutoussamy. The 29-year-old was born in Paris, France, to a Congolese mother and an Indo-Guadeloupean father whose family traces its roots to the Tamil community. Moutoussamy chose to represent DR Congo internationally and has become one of the team's most experienced players since making his debut in 2019. He has already accumulated 57 international caps for the Leopards. At club level, he spent several years with Nantes, making 144 appearances for the French side before continuing his career in the Netherlands, Turkey and later Greece, where he currently plays for Atromitos. The defensive midfielder is expected to be a key figure for DR Congo at the World Cup as they attempt to navigate a challenging group featuring Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan. One player with Indian roots who came close to a World Cup place but ultimately missed out on the final squad is defender Niall Mason. Born in Brighton, England, to an Indian mother, Mason was included in Qatar's preliminary World Cup squad. After playing in England earlier in his career, he moved to Qatar and currently represents Qatar SC. Although he did not make the final 26-man roster, his inclusion in the preliminary selection highlighted another growing Indian connection within international football. The presence of these players has not gone unnoticed in India. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor highlighted the achievement on social media, describing it as "a historic moment for Indian football fans" and noting that Indian heritage would be represented at the World Cup despite India's absence from the tournament itself. Tharoor also pointed to a previous example in French midfielder Vikash Dhorasoo, whose ancestors hailed from Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh before the family later moved to Mauritius and eventually France. Dhorasoo represented France at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and finished as a runner-up. While India remains some distance away from qualifying for the World Cup itself, the participation of Sarpreet Singh, Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid, Nishan Velupillay and Samuel Moutoussamy ensures that Indian heritage will still have a presence when the world's biggest football tournament begins in North America. For Indian football supporters searching for a connection to the global showpiece, these players may provide a small but meaningful reason to follow the action a little more closely this summer.