Indian-origin player Nishan Velupillay is part of the Australian squad that will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
A youth product of the Melbourne Victory Academy, Velupillay starred for the senior team with 146 appearances after making his debut in 2021.
During his club career, the 25-year-old has scored 25 times, establishing himself as Melbourne Victory’s talisman and top scorer since his debut. Most notably, he led the campaign in the 2024-2025 campaign Big V to the success of the Australian Cup, where he led by example as the tournament’s top scorer.
Buoyed by this success, the electric winger was called up for the Australian team’s 2024 World Cup qualifiers, where he hit the ground running, scoring from the bench on his debut against China. In his short national career so far, Velupillay has scored three times in seven games.
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After suffering a hamstring injury in the 2025/26 pre-season with Melbourne Victory and missing the start of the season, he returned with 5 goals during the (half-time) run of the campaign, which was enough to find him a place (was enough to secure him) in the Australian league. 2026 World Cup squad. (As a result?) As a result, Velupillay could become the first player of Indian origin to play in this edition of the FIFA World Cup.
However, having made just two appearances for the national team since his injury, it remains unclear whether the 25-year-old will start for the competition. Footballless this summer, as the talented Nestory Iranakunda is likely to remain the preferred right-wing option for Tony Popovic.
Published on June 14, 2026
