"Bharat-i in FIFA 2026' ::: It's no Bollywood title ... New Zealand's Sarpreet Singh, Qatar's Tahsin, Congo's Samuel and Australia's Nishan Velupillay --- are all "Indian origin" ::: 84 mn. viewers watch matches on television, placing India among top audiences

No India at the FIFA World Cup, but 4 Indian-Origin stars are ready to shine  

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

Although India will not be at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, four players with Indian roots will be part of the tournament. 

New Zealand's Sarpreet Singh, 

Qatar's Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid, 

Congo's Samuel Moutoussamy and Australia's Nishan Velupillay will all represent their respective countries.

India's long wait for a place at the FIFA World Cup continues. 

The men's national team has never played at football's showpiece event, a reality that remains frustrating for a country where the sport commands a massive following.

FIFA's figures from the 2022 World Cup highlight that enthusiasm. 

Around 745 million people in India engaged with the tournament across television, digital and social media platforms, making the country the second-largest market after China. 

Nearly 84 million viewers watched matches on television, placing India among the top audiences globally.

Mexico star in action 

So while the tricolour will not be represented among the 48 nations competing in the United States, Canada and Mexico, there will still be familiar threads running through the tournament.  

Four players with family origins in India are set to feature at the 2026 World Cup. 

Their stories stretch from Punjab and Kerala to New Zealand, Qatar, Australia and even the Caribbean, reflecting the many paths taken by the Indian diaspora over generations.  

SARPREET SINGH (NEW ZEALAND)

Of the four names on this list, Sarpreet Singh is the one Indian football fans are most likely to recognise.

The attacking midfielder represented New Zealand at the FIFA U-20 World Cups in 2017 and 2019 before graduating to the senior side. In 2019, he made headlines when Bayern Munich signed him from Wellington Phoenix, becoming one of the few players from New Zealand to join a European giant.

Born in Auckland to parents whose family hails from Jalandhar, Punjab, Singh has been a prominent figure in New Zealand football for several years. His family ran a grocery store in Auckland, and he has never hidden his affection for his Punjabi heritage.  

SAMUEL MOUTOUSSAMY (CONGO)

Samuel Moutoussamy's story is perhaps the most fascinating of the four.

Born in France, the midfielder traces his Indian 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.  

Nishan 

NISHAN VELUPILLAY (AUSTRALIA)

Nishan Velupillay heads into the World Cup as one of Australia's most exciting attacking options.

The Melbourne Victory winger was born and raised in Melbourne, but his family story stretches back to the Indian subcontinent. His father, Sasinath Velupillay, is of Sri Lankan Tamil heritage, while his mother, Gillian Velupillay, is Anglo-Indian. 

TAHSIN MOHAMMED JAMSHID (QATAR)

Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid is Qatar's emerging talents.

The 19-year-old winger was born in Qatar to parents from Kerala. 

His father, Jamshid, played for the University of Calicut and Kerala's sub-junior team before moving to the Gulf nation, while his mother, Shyma, is from Kannur.