The talented group of Sarpreet Singh, Samuel Moutoussamy, Nishan Velupillay, and Tahsin Mohammed mirror the legacy of Vikash Dhorasoo, the French midfielder who played in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
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1 / 5India’s long-held aspiration to qualify for the FIFA World Cup is set to witness a unique milestone as four players of Indian origin are slated to participate in the 23rd edition commencing June 11 in the Americas.
This group of Sarpreet Singh, Samuel Moutoussamy, Nishan Velupillay, and Tahsin Mohammed is inspired by the history of Vikash Dhorasoo, a French midfielder noted for his appearance in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Dhorasoo’s heritage traces back to Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh. Here’s an insightful look at these remarkable players. Source: Reuters)
2 / 5Nishan Velupillay (Australia): The 25-year-old winger, born in Melbourne to an Anglo-Indian mother and a Malaysian father of Sri Lankan Tamil descent, is among 17 players in the Socceroos’ 26-member squad poised for their FIFA World Cup debut. Currently, he represents Melbourne Victory in the Australian A-League.
He made his debut for the Australian national team in October 2024 during the qualification phase for the 2026 World Cup, scoring in his first game as a substitute against China. Since then, Nishan has earned seven additional senior caps and scored thrice in World Cup qualifiers. He grew up in Melbourne, attended Mazenod College in Mulgrave, and began his football journey at Glen Eira FC before climbing to the Melbourne Victory academy.
3 / 5Samuel Moutoussamy (DR Congo): Samuel, born in France to a Congolese mother and an Indo-Guadeloupean father of Tamil descent, plays professional football under FIFA’s eligibility rules, which allow individuals with certain familial ties to represent a national team. The 29-year-old midfielder currently competes in the Greek Super League with Atromitos and has amassed 57 caps for the DR Congo senior national team since his debut in 2019. He has previously played for FC Nantes in France and Ozbelsan Sivasspor in Turkey. (REUTERS)
4 / 5Sarpreet Singh (New Zealand): Born in Auckland to Punjabi parents, Sarpreet played in India during the 2018 Intercontinental Cup in Mumbai, where he faced off against notable players like Sunil Chhetri shortly after making his debut for the New Zealand national team. He contributed with a goal and two assists in a 2–1 victory against India, where New Zealand finished third in the four-nation tournament.
The following year, he became the first player of Indian descent to compete in Germany’s top division, debuting for Bayern Munich in 2019 after transferring from Wellington Phoenix. Initially with Bayern’s reserve team in the third tier, his impressive performances propelled him to a first-team debut under then-manager Hansi Flick. (REUTERS).
5 / 5Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid (Qatar): Turning 20 on June 16, Tahsin was born in Doha to Malayali parents who relocated from Kannur in 2006. He developed his love for football under the guidance of his father, Jamshid, a former player at the University of Calicut. Tahsin continued to cultivate his skills at the Aspire Academy in Doha, earning his place as the first Indian-origin player in the Qatar Stars League, Qatar’s premier competition, where he currently plays for Al Duhail SC.
He made his international debut against Afghanistan during the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in a group that also included India, witnessing a controversial 2-1 defeat of India on June 11, 2024, while sitting on the bench. He has since participated in friendly matches against Zimbabwe (2025) and Ireland (2026) without scoring.
