FIFA MANIA: Nora Fatehi’s Record-Breaking Launch & The Desi Players Everyone Is Watching!

The wait is over. The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins today, marking the first time Canada, Mexico, and the United States have come together to host football’s premier tournament. Over the next six weeks, 104 matches will be played across 16 cities before a new world champion is crowned on July 19.

I write this with immense pride and excitement: South Asians are shining at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. We are not merely spectators to this historic moment; we are part of it.

Across the tournament, footballers of South Asian heritage are making their presence felt on the global stage, proudly carrying their identity with them. Beyond the pitch, South Asian communities are also showing a strong presence, with passionate fans in stadiums and cultural voices adding to the tournament’s global energy. Together, these stories highlight growing visibility, pride, and belonging at football’s biggest event.

Let’s explore the South Asian faces bringing energy to FIFA 2026, both on the field and beyond.

FIFA 2026: South Asian Footballers

Even though no national team from South Asia has reached the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the region’s presence will still be visible through footballers of South Asian heritage taking part in the tournament.

Sarpreet Singh – New Zealand

Sarpreet Singh, born in Auckland to Punjabi parents, stands out as one of the most notable names in this group. The attacking midfielder has already built a diverse international career, featuring spells in Germany with Bayern Munich, where he broke through into the first team and became the first player of Indian descent to appear in the Bundesliga. He later continued his journey across Portugal and Serbia before returning to New Zealand football.

Having represented New Zealand across youth and senior levels, including multiple youth World Cups, Singh now returns to the World Cup stage as part of his national squad, adding another chapter to a career that reflects both global mobility and South Asian heritage.

Samuel Moutoussamy – DR Congo

Samuel Moutoussamy brings a layered cultural background to the 2026 FIFA World Cup narrative. Born in France, he is the son of a Congolese mother and an Indo-Guadeloupean father of Tamil heritage.

Now 29, the midfielder represents the Democratic Republic of Congo at the international level, having earned more than 50 senior caps since his debut in 2019. His club career has taken him through France with FC Nantes, Turkey with Sivasspor, and currently Greece, where he plays for Atromitos in the Super League.

His eligibility for DR Congo aligns with FIFA’s national team rules, which allow players to represent a country through parental or grandparental lineage, provided they also hold the relevant passport.

Nishan Velupillay – Australia

Born in Melbourne, Nishan Velupillay carries a mixed South Asian and Southeast Asian heritage, with an Anglo-Indian mother and a father of Malaysian origin with Sri Lankan Tamil roots. The 25-year-old winger has emerged as part of Australia’s new World Cup generation, with 17 players in the Socceroos squad set to make their tournament debut.

Nishan, who plays in the A-League for Melbourne Victory, made his senior international debut for Australia in October 2024 during the World Cup qualifying campaign. He marked the occasion with an immediate impact, coming off the bench to score against China.

Since that debut, he has added several more appearances for the national side, finding the net multiple times in qualifying matches. Raised in Melbourne, he developed his early game at Glen Eira FC, studied at Mazenod College in Mulgrave, and progressed through the Melbourne Victory academy system before breaking into professional football.

Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid – Qatar

Tahsin Mohammed was born in Doha to Malayali parents who left Kannur for Qatar in 2006. His father, Jamshid, a former University of Calicut footballer now working as an accountant, is originally from Thalassery, while his mother, Shyma, comes from Valapattanam near Kannur.

Guided early on by his father, Tahsin developed through Qatar’s Aspire Academy, a pathway that helped shape his rise in the country’s football system. He went on to become the first Indian-origin player to feature in the Qatar Stars League and currently represents Al Duhail SC.

A winger by trade, he made his senior international debut in 2024 during a World Cup qualifying match against Afghanistan. He has since been included in Qatar’s setup for additional fixtures, including friendlies against Zimbabwe in 2025 and Ireland in 2026, continuing his development at the international level.

Zidane Iqbal

Zidane Iqbal, a midfielder, has emerged as one of the most prominent young names in international football. Born and raised in Manchester to a Pakistani father and an Iraqi mother, he is widely viewed as a landmark figure for representation in the sport, with expectations of becoming the first player of Pakistani origin to feature at a FIFA World Cup. He currently plays for Dutch club FC Utrecht in the Eredivisie and represents Iraq at the international level.

Iqbal’s football journey began early when he joined Manchester United’s academy at the age of nine. After progressing through the club’s youth ranks, he made his senior breakthrough in December 2021, appearing in a UEFA Champions League fixture and stepping onto one of football’s biggest stages at a young age.

On the international front, he first featured for Iraq at the under-23 level before making his senior debut in January 2022. Since then, he has continued to establish himself within the national setup, adding experience and depth to Iraq’s midfield.

FIFA 2026: South Asian Performers

The opening ceremony at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium set the tone for the tournament, featuring a high-energy showcase led by performers Shakira and Burna Boy, alongside the official unveiling of a giant World Cup trophy.

Nora Fatehi

From B-town to FIFA!

Nora Fatehi is scheduled to perform at the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening ceremony in Toronto, where she will share the stage with global names such as Shakira, Madonna, BTS, and Burna Boy. The event is set to take place on June 12, 2026, at BMO Field in Canada.

Adding to her international presence, she has also released the FIFA-themed track Siir Siir, collaborating with music producer Sanjoy and French artist Vegedream, the track quickly gained massive traction, crossing over 20 million views on YouTube within 24 hours of its release.

According to reports, the song has also surpassed the performance of Shakira’s FIFA track Dai Dai, which previously recorded 8.2 million views within its first 24 hours of release. [Source: https://www.instagram.com]

Sanjoy

Sanjoy, a Bangladeshi-American DJ and music producer, has been selected for the official 2026 FIFA World Cup album lineup. He is also set to perform at the tournament’s opening ceremony in Toronto, Canada, on June 12.

The recognition places him among the global artists contributing to the musical identity of the tournament, which continues to expand its cultural reach beyond sport.

He is also credited with producing the FIFA-themed track Siir Siir*, created in collaboration with Nora Fatehi and French artist Vegedream, further reinforcing his involvement in international music projects linked to the World Cup.

For football fans following FIFA 2026, match kick-offs are typically scheduled between 12 p.m. and 12 a.m. ET, with games spread across multiple time zones due to the tournament’s continental scale. [Source: https://www.nbcnews.com]

In Canada, fixtures are being hosted at key venues including BMO Field in Toronto and BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. Across North America, matches are taking place in 16 stadiums across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with the competition featuring 48 teams at the group stage. From there, 32 nations will progress to the knockout rounds after the opening phase concludes.

On Day 2 of the tournament, Friday, June 12, the schedule includes Canada facing Bosnia and Herzegovina in Group B at 3 p.m. ET, followed by the United States taking on Paraguay in Group D at 9 p.m. ET. Both matches will be broadcast on Fox and Telemundo.

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