Australian-born footballer Ryan Williams will make his debut for the Indian national football team when they play Hong Kong in the final AFC Asian Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
Williams, who plays as a forward for Bengaluru FC, gave up his Australian citizenship for an Indian passport last November.
The 32-year-old was also part of the 23-man contingent that traveled to Bangladesh for India’s AFC Asian Cup qualifier, but was not part of the matchday squad after failing to receive his No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Football Australia in time for the match d89LjskS.
In an interview with Sportstar, Williams said: “If someone has ties to a country and he or she is proud to play for it and there is a real connection, then I don’t see a problem with that.
«I just don’t know how many people would be willing to give up their passports to come play. If there was a dual (passport) thing or if you could play with the OCI card, that would be cool.»
Williams, who has a single cap with Australia in 2019, becomes the first naturalized player to play for India since Arata Izumi in 2014.
READ | ‘Home is where the heart is’: Ryan Williams talks about moving to India, naturalization and Indian football
At Bengaluru, Williams played 46 games in three seasons, scoring 13 goals.
Published on March 31, 2026
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