India’s long wait for a place at the FIFA World Cup continues. The men’s national team has never played at football’s showpiece event, a reality that remains frustrating for a country where the sport commands a massive following.
FIFA’s figures from the 2022 World Cup highlight that enthusiasm. Around 745 million people in India engaged with the tournament across television, digital and social media platforms, making the country the second-largest market after China. Nearly 84 million viewers watched matches on television, placing India among the top audiences globally.
So while the tricolour will not be represented among the 48 nations competing in the United States, Canada and Mexico, there will still be familiar threads running through the tournament.
Four players with family origins in India are set to feature at the 2026 World Cup. Their stories stretch from Punjab and Kerala to New Zealand, Qatar, Australia and even the Caribbean, reflecting the many paths taken by the Indian diaspora over generations.
SARPREET SINGH (NEW ZEALAND)
Of the four names on this list, Sarpreet Singh is the one Indian football fans are most likely to recognise.
Born in Auckland to parents whose family hails from Jalandhar, Punjab, Singh has been a prominent figure in New Zealand football for several years. His family ran a grocery store in Auckland, and he has never hidden his affection for his Punjabi heritage.
“I’m from a very typical Punjabi family with a lot of uncles and aunties and cousins,” Singh told Sportstar.
The attacking midfielder represented New Zealand at the FIFA U-20 World Cups in 2017 and 2019 before graduating to the senior side. In 2019, he made headlines when Bayern Munich signed him from Wellington Phoenix, becoming one of the few players from New Zealand to join a European giant.
Although he spent much of his time on loan and did not break into Bayern’s first team regularly, the move elevated his profile. Now 27, Singh plays club football with Serbian side TSC and remains an important member of the All Whites setup. Since making his senior debut in 2018, he has earned 24 international caps.
TAHSIN MOHAMMED JAMSHID (QATAR)
At the other end of the age spectrum is Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid, who arrives at the World Cup as one of Qatar’s emerging talents.
The 19-year-old winger was born in Qatar to parents from Kerala. His father, Jamshid, played for the University of Calicut and Kerala’s sub-junior team before moving to the Gulf nation, while his mother, Shyma, is from Kannur.
Tahsin developed through Qatar’s football system and now plays for Al Duhail, one of the country’s leading clubs. His rise through the ranks culminated in a senior international debut against Afghanistan during a World Cup qualifier in 2024.
Indian fans may remember him from Qatar’s qualifying campaign, during which he was part of the squad that faced India in Doha. Reports have suggested that Tahsin continues to hold an Indian passport while also possessing a special Qatari mission passport that enables him to represent Qatar internationally.
Still in the early stages of his career, he arrives at the World Cup with the chance to establish himself on a much bigger stage.
SAMUEL MOUTOUSSAMY (DR CONGO)
Samuel Moutoussamy’s story is perhaps the most fascinating of the four.
Born in France, the midfielder traces his Indian ancestry through his father, who belongs to the Indo-Guadeloupean community of Tamil origin. The community emerged from the migration of Indian indentured labourers to the Caribbean during the nineteenth century, creating a cultural link that has endured across generations.
His mother is Congolese, and it was through her that Moutoussamy became eligible to represent DR Congo.
Despite growing up in France and spending his club career there and in Turkey, he chose international football with the Leopards. Since making his debut in 2019, the 29-year-old has become one of the team’s most dependable midfielders, collecting 57 caps along the way.
Known for his work rate and composure in possession, Moutoussamy will bring valuable experience to a DR Congo side returning to the World Cup after a long absence.
NISHAN VELUPILLAY (AUSTRALIA)
Nishan Velupillay heads into the World Cup as one of Australia’s most exciting attacking options.
The Melbourne Victory winger was born and raised in Melbourne, but his family story stretches back to the Indian subcontinent. His father, Sasinath Velupillay, is of Sri Lankan Tamil heritage, while his mother, Gillian Velupillay, is Anglo-Indian.
After progressing through local clubs and Melbourne Victory’s academy system, Velupillay earned his first senior Australia call-up under coach Tony Popovic in 2024.
His debut could hardly have gone better. Introduced in the closing stages of a World Cup qualifier against China, he scored seven minutes after coming on to help seal a 3-1 victory.
That goal proved to be the start of a rapid rise. Velupillay has since earned seven caps and scored three times, with all of his goals coming in World Cup qualifiers. Those performances convinced Popovic to include the 25-year-old in Australia’s final 26-man squad for the tournament.
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