Nishan Velupillay becomes first Indian-origin footballer to play in FIFA World Cup in 20 years

Australia winger Nishan Velupillay has become the first Indian-origin footballer to play at a FIFA World Cup since France's Vikash Dhorasoo in 2006. The Melbourne-born 25-year-old, whose mother is Anglo-Indian and father is a Malaysian of Sri Lankan Tamil heritage, came off the bench in the 60th minute in Australia's FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Türkiye.