Australian footballer of Sri Lankan Tamil heritage Nishan Velupillay has been named in Australia’s final 26-player squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a milestone for a player with Sri Lankan roots on football’s biggest stage, Newswire reported.
The 24-year-old winger plays for Melbourne Victory in the A-League and was included in the squad announced by Socceroos coach Tony Popovic ahead of the tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Born in Melbourne, Velupillay’s father is Malaysian with Sri Lankan Tamil heritage and his mother is Anglo-Indian.
The attacker has emerged as one of Australia’s brightest young talents, scoring on his international debut against China in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier and playing a key role through Australia’s qualification campaign. He is among a new generation of Socceroos heading to the tournament: 17 of the 26-player squad are tournament debutants.
His selection has been widely welcomed by Sri Lankan and Tamil communities around the world, who view his achievement as a source of pride and inspiration for young athletes from migrant backgrounds, Newswire said. Australia begins its World Cup campaign later this month, with Velupillay expected to be part of the Socceroos’ attacking options. The selection arrives the same week Sri Lanka’s women’s cricket team finalised its 15-player squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England.
