India at Unity Cup 2026 — Poster boy Ryan Williams is offering Indian football an opportunity like never before

The hype surrounding Ryan Williams was very real, to say the least.

A foreign-born striker who played for India, scored an early goal on his debut and India rose in the FIFA rankings as a result – all effects pointed to the cause: Williams’ inclusion. And rightly so.

The one-touch finishes and one-twos with Lallianzuala Chhangte and Manvir Singh in the final third were a stark contrast to the mediocre results Indian football fans have had to watch over the years, such as in the matches against Bangladesh and Singapore.

But the forward brings much more to the table than his performances on the field. Ahead of India’s Unity Cup matches in Britain, his signing offers an opportunity.

Williams gave up his Australian passport – the eighth strongest in the world – to play for India in what could be a seminal moment for the Indian diaspora around the world.

By importing players with foreign experience and South Asian heritage, Bangladesh has brought in Hamza Choudhary in midfield, who proved important as they drew and defeated India in straight games. The introduction of US-based teenagers, Ronan and Declan Sullivan, also paid off as Bangladesh dethroned India at the SAFF U-20 Championship.

For India, the Unity Cup in the United Kingdom (UK) will be a good opportunity to identify and invite such native players, just as Bangladesh has done so far.

Opportunity to tap players of Indian origin

The top three countries of birth outside Britain for England and Wales have remained unchanged since the last census a decade ago, namely India, Poland and Pakistan, and the tournament could be the perfect opportunity for India to tap into this diaspora.

Britain, like Australia, ranks eighth as the strongest passport, and Williams could well become India’s poster boy in this endeavour.

The 32-year-old spent most of his formative years in Britain, growing up in Fulham, Portsmouth and Barnsley, and his inclusion in the national team could motivate players like Dylan Markanday, Yan Dhanda and Caylan Vickers to find a way into the Indian national team.

«I just don’t know how many people would be willing to give up their passports to come play. If there was a double (passport) thing or if you could play with the OCI card, that would be cool,» Williams told Sportstar.

«But then it might overwhelm too many (players) because the Indian diaspora is crazy all over the world, especially in Britain. The move could benefit us, but I don’t have a crystal ball to say what it will look like in 10 years.»

At least 19 players of Indian origin play in multiple divisions of English football, including the Khela brothers, Bradon and Reiss, and former Derby County goalkeeper Rohan Luthra.

“Maybe it would be good for five years because then maybe we reach these tournaments and we as Indian players get better because there is more competition in the camps,” Williams added.

A leaf from the 2023 script

The other facet of the Unity Cup is obvious: the opponents.

The tournament features Nigeria, Jamaica and Zimbabwe – all higher-ranked teams alongside India, and a win against any of them could go a long way to boosting the Blue Tigers’ momentum.

Teams in the Unity Cup 2026:

• India (rank: 136)

• Zimbabwe (rank: 130)

• Nigeria (rank: 26)

• Jamaica (rank: 71)

Although the tournament falls outside the international framework, FIFA has given the tournament ‘Tier 1’ status, meaning it will award ranking points comparable to other official competitions.

It is here that India can take a leaf out of the 2023 playbook to climb the FIFA rankings. Three years ago, India played higher-ranked sides, Kyrgyzstan and then Lebanon, to lift two trophies at home – the Tri Nations Series and the Intercontinental Cup.

Also beating West Asian opponents Kuwait to clinch the SAFF Championship gave India seven places in as many months. The team hasn’t risen that much since then.

Teams that are ranked way too high can sometimes immediately be a step too far, as Iran did in the CAFA Nations Cup, but the team must be courageous and also look more for similarly higher teams, such as Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon before, to have a better chance of winning and gaining points.

Now that the dust has settled on Williams’ arrival, India can expect another storm in and around the Unity Cup for higher rankings and a brighter future for Indian football.

Published on May 26, 2026