One of the more striking aspects of the expanded 2026 World Cup is that despite Fifa accommodating 48 teams in the tournament – which is roughly one in every four nations on the planet – the two biggest countries still failed to make the cut.
That China and India were unable to qualify for the global finals is a sad reflection of the state of the game in those countries, given their population and resources compared to teams like Curacao and Cape Verde.
Still, there is some connection with one of those countries at the 2026 finals. Below are the Indian origin players who are competing in North America.
Tahsin Jamshid (Qatar)
Qatar’s Jamshid, whose parents are from Kerala, was still a teenager when the 2026 tournament started. He turned 20 this week. Born in Doha, Tahsin was introduced to the sport by his father Jamshid, who is a former player himself and represented the junior state team in Kerala.
Tahsin was enrolled in the Aspire Academy in Qatar and made his way through the nation's U17 and U19 teams. The winger became the first footballer of Indian origin to play in the Qatar Stars League, signing on for Al Duhail. He made his national debut during Qatar’s 2026 qualifying campaign. Has become one of the most followed footballers in his home state in India.
Sarpreet Singh (New Zealand)
The Kiwi midfielder made his tournament bow during the thrilling 2-2 draw against Iran, becoming the first player of Indian origin to start a World Cup game.
Sarpreet has made his way through the ranks of New Zealand football, representing the nation at U20 World Cups in 2017 and 2019 as well as the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Born in Auckland to parents who hail from Jalandhar in the state of Punjab, Sarpreet caught the eye of Bayern Munich who signed him on a three-year deal in 2019.
Sarpreet said he hoped more players of South Asian heritage will reach the highest level.
“It means a lot to me, it means a lot to my people, my family, my community,” he said.
“I’m very happy to be the first, and pave the way for the rest of them coming through. I hope to see many more Singhs and Sikhs and Punjabi footballers coming through, and Indian heritage footballers.”
Samuel Moutoussamy (DR Congo)
The Paris-born midfielder’s mother is Congolese while his father has south Indian ancestry. The 29-year-old played a majority of his club football at Nantes and is now at Greek club Artomitos.
Moutoussamy decided to represent Congo in 2019. Has represented his nation over 50 times and was praised for his efficiency against Denmark in a friendly earlier this month.
Was industrious in the midfield as Congo held Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal to a draw in Houston.
Nishan Velupillay (Australia)
The Socceroos winger became the first ever Tamil player to feature in a World Cup during Australia’s 2-0 win over Turkey. Velupillay’s father is of Sri Lankan Tamil descent while his mother is Anglo-Indian.
Velupillay said he felt proud to be a part of a diverse Australian national squad.
“It showcases the cultures that we have got in the Australian squad. Proud of my family. They did a lot to get me here, lot of sacrifice. We are one of the countries where we have all these different backgrounds. That’s what makes Australia and our squad special,” Velupillay had said before the start of the tournament.
Note: There are a few players at the World Cup with unclear Indian ancestry. Uruguay’s Maximiliano Araujo and Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa reportedly have links to Goa in western India through their grandparents.
