The campaign ended in the second round of qualifiers. India has been excluded from the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America. But that does not mean that there will be no touch of the country!
The 48-team World Cup hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico will see several players of Indian origin donning the jerseys of other countries. Someone will manage the New Zealand midfield, someone will speed up the Qatar attack, someone will play a key role for Australia or the Democratic Republic of Congo!
The most famous name in the list is Sarpreet Singh. Although he was born in Wellington, his family has roots in Jalandhar, Punjab. The 27-year-old midfielder once played for Bayern Munich. Later he went to various clubs in Germany and Portugal.
He currently plays for Wellington Phoenix. He made his New Zealand debut in 2018 and has already played 24 international matches. He is one of the team’s mainstays in midfield at the World Cup after recovering from a serious knee injury.
Tahsin Mohammad Jamshid is also in the spotlight. He has been placed in the Qatar team. Tahsin was born in a Malayali family in Kerala, Qatar. The Al Duhail footballer is a 19-year-old winger. He made history as the first player of Indian origin to play in the Qatar Stars League.
Nishan Velupillai is in Australia’s World Cup squad. Born in Melbourne. The 25-year-old footballer is of Malaysian Tamil descent and an Anglo-Indian mother. Nishan, who came out of Melbourne Victory’s academy, has played 128 matches for the club and six for the national team. He played an important role in Australia’s attack in the World Cup.
Samuel Mutusami will play for Congo. He was born in Paris. He is 29 years old. He plays in midfield. Samuel’s father came from a Tamil family of Indian origin. He decided to play for Congo on the advice of his mother. As of 2019, Samuel has already made 57 international appearances.
Another name has come up in this context. He is Niall Mason. Born in Brighton, England. His mother is Indian. He made Qatar’s initial squad but ultimately missed out on the final squad. He currently plays for Qatar SC. Defend the position. Although not in the World Cup, many are hopeful that he can become a regular face of the Qatar national team in the future.
This is not the news of the Indian team not being in the World Cup. But the presence of four Indian-origin footballers in the tournament is a reminder that even though football is off the World Cup map, the country’s roots remain deep within the World Cup.