India may not have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, but four players with Indian roots will still be part of football's biggest tournament.

New Zealand's Sarpreet Singh, Qatar's Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid, DR Congo's Samuel Moutoussamy and Australia's Nishan Velupillay are all set to represent their respective nations at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, giving Indian football fans a reason to follow the tournament a little more closely.

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Their stories span continents and generations, from Punjabi families in New Zealand and Keralite migrants in Qatar to descendants of Indian communities in the Caribbean and Australia. Together, they reflect the global reach of the Indian diaspora in world football.

India's long wait for a World Cup appearance, however, continues. Despite football's growing popularity in the country, the men's national team has never played at the tournament. FIFA data from the 2022 World Cup showed that around 745 million people in India engaged with the event across television, digital and social media platforms, making the country the second-largest market after China. Nearly 84 million viewers watched matches on television.

While the Indian team will once again be missing from the competition, these four players will carry Indian connections onto the global stage.

Sarpreet Singh (New Zealand)

Among the four, Sarpreet Singh is perhaps the best-known name among Indian football fans.

Born in Auckland, Singh's family traces its roots to Jalandhar, Punjab. The attacking midfielder has often spoken about his heritage.

"I'm from a very typical Punjabi family with a lot of uncles and aunties and cousins," Singh told Sportstar.

The 27-year-old represented New Zealand at the FIFA U-20 World Cups in 2017 and 2019 before establishing himself in the senior team. In 2019, he made headlines after joining Bayern Munich from Wellington Phoenix.

Although he spent much of his Bayern spell on loan and did not become a regular in the first team, the move significantly elevated his profile. Singh now plays for Serbian club TSC and has earned 24 caps for New Zealand since his senior debut in 2018.

Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid (Qatar)

Nineteen-year-old Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid will be one of the youngest players with Indian roots at the tournament.

Born in Qatar to parents from Kerala, Tahsin's father, Jamshid, played for the University of Calicut and Kerala's sub-junior football team before moving to the Gulf nation. His mother, Shyma, is from Kannur.

The winger developed through Qatar's football system and currently plays for Al Duhail. He made his senior international debut against Afghanistan in 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.

Samuel Moutoussamy (DR Congo)

Samuel Moutoussamy's connection to India dates back generations.

Born in France, the midfielder traces his 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.

His mother is Congolese, and Moutoussamy chose to represent DR Congo at international level.

The 29-year-old has built a reputation as one of the team's most dependable midfielders since making his debut in 2019. He has earned 57 international caps and is expected to play a key role for DR Congo at the World Cup.

Nishan Velupillay (Australia)

Australia's Nishan Velupillay arrives at the World Cup as one of the Socceroos' rising attacking talents.

Born and raised in Melbourne, Velupillay's father, Sasinath Velupillay, is of Sri Lankan Tamil heritage, while his mother, Gillian Velupillay, is Anglo-Indian.

The Melbourne Victory winger earned his first Australia call-up in 2024 under coach Tony Popovic and announced himself in style by scoring seven minutes into his debut against China in a World Cup qualifier.

Since then, the 25-year-old has earned seven caps and scored three goals, all in World Cup qualifying matches. Those performances secured his place in Australia's final 26-man squad for the tournament.

India may still be waiting for its first appearance at football's showpiece event, but when the World Cup begins in North America, four players with Indian roots will be carrying a piece of that connection onto the game's biggest stage.

Published on: Jun 15, 2026 5:51 PM IST