Indian Origin Footballers: No Team India, But Desi Talent Shines at FIFA World Cup 2026

The FIFA World Cup is starting next week, and while India didn't qualify, our presence will be felt. Four players of Indian origin are playing for different countries, proving that Indians definitely know how to play football.

Even though the Indian team is nowhere near the FIFA World Cup 2026 main stage, four footballers of Indian origin are all set to play. Sarpreet Singh will be playing for New Zealand, Samuel Moutoussamy for DR Congo, Nishan Velupillay for Australia, and Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid for Qatar. While India's national team hasn't seen much success lately, these players are doing really well for other countries. Many feel that Indian football would have improved if they played for our team. However, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has not yet managed to bring these top-tier players to represent India.

Following in Vikash Dhorasoo's Footsteps

These players are following the path paved by Vikash Dhorasoo. He was the first Indian-origin footballer to play in the World Cup finals back in 2006. The midfielder played 18 matches for the French senior national team. Now, four more players of Indian descent are playing in the main tournament. Another player, Niall Mason, also came very close to playing in the World Cup. He was part of Qatar's initial 34-member squad but unfortunately didn't make it to the final 26-man team.

Former ISL Player in Haiti Squad

This year's World Cup also features a familiar face for Indian football fans. Duckens Nazon, who once played for Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League (ISL), is part of the Haiti squad. The 32-year-old striker came to India in 2016. Fans might remember him for scoring the goal against FC Pune City that took Kerala Blasters to the ISL playoffs. Nazon made his debut for Haiti's senior team in 2014 and is their all-time top scorer with 44 goals. He currently plays for a club in Iran and his main goal is to score in the World Cup.