Top Indian origin footballers who have made their mark in Europe - in pictures

Michael Chopra, Vikash Dhorasoo and other players who have played in top leagues

Michael Chopra, right, playing for Cardiff City in a Championship match against Swansea in 2010. Chopra's mother is English and his father Indian, with Chopra even attempting to represent India at international level. A product of Newcastle United's youth system, Chopra spent a considerable part of his career at Cardiff City. Action Images

Defender Danny Batth has more than 100 appearances for Wolves and Sunderland - and captained the former. His father hails from the north Indian state of Punjab. Batth wanted to play for India at international level but the country's residency rules made that difficult. PA

Vikash Dhorasoo, centre, vies with Bordeaux midfielders Alejandro Alonso, left, and Julien Faubert while playing for Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Prince in 2006. Born to Indo-Mauritian parents originally hailing from Andhra Pradesh, Dhorasoo earned 18 caps for France and was part of the team that finished runners-up at the 2006 World Cup. AFP

Dutch player Luciano Narsingh has played for PSV, Swansea and Feyenoord. The Netherlands international's grandparents were contract workers from Andhra Pradesh. Getty

Swansea City's Yan Dhanda has represented England at youth level. His father hails from Punjab while his mother is English. PA

In 2019, New Zealand midfielder Sarpreet Singh became the first Indian origin player to play in the Bundesliga when he made his debut for Bayern Munich. He has earned six caps for the All Whites' senior national team. AFP

Arguably the greatest footballer to come out of India. Former captain Bhaichung Bhutia was one of the first Indians to play overseas when he signed for English club Bury in 1999. Stephen Lock / The National

Sunil Chhetri has been a great servant of Indian football. Chhetri was part of Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon's reserve team, playing alongside current Tottenham Hotspur and England player Eric Dier. AFP

Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu played at Norwegian club Stabaek from 2014 until 2017. During his stint in Norway, Sandhu became the first Indian player to play in the Europa League. AFP

When you talk about India, the first sport that comes to mind is obviously cricket. Then, possibly badminton, wrestling and hockey. The world's most popular sport – football – does not show up on the radar as often.

Even so, there is sizeable Indian representation in football, and in top European competitions. Indian origin players like Michael Chopra and Vikash Dhorasoo have made a name for themselves over previous decades, although no player with Indian roots has yet become a global superstar.

There was a time when the Indian football team was a force to be reckoned with. They won gold at the 1951 and 1962 Asian Games, and also finished fourth at the 1956 Olympics. However, after cricket gained popularity in India after their famous 1983 World Cup win, football and other sports took a back seat.

Still, Indian origin footballers, and some from the country, continue to provide representation to the South Asian nation. You can see them in the picture gallery above. To view the next image, click on the arrows or swipe if on a mobile device.