Indian origin Nishan Velupillay makes FIFA World Cup 2026 debut with Australia
Australia kickoff FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with 2-0 win over Turkey
Indian origin winger Nishan Velupillay marked his name in football history after making his FIFA World Cup 2026 debut for Australia in their opening clash of the campaign against Turkey.
The 25 year old winger became the first player of Indian origin to feature in the FIFA World Cup 2026 as the Aussies secured a hard fought 2-0 victory over Turkey causing an early group stage upset.
Who is Nishan Velupillay?
Nishan Velupillay is a 25 year old winger who was born to Sasinath Velupillay and Gillian Velupillay. His father, Sasinath Velupillay, is of Malaysian and Sri Lankan Tamil origin, while his mother, Gillian Velupillay, is of Anglo-Indian heritage.
Nishan is a product of the Melbourne Victory academy. He made his senior team debut for Melbourne Victory in 2021 and won the Australia Cup in 2024-25 with them.
The winger earned his first Australia call-up during the FIFA World Cup qualifiers in 2024. He made his debut off the bench against China and scored immediately.
He has also represented Australia’s U-23 side and, against Turkey today, came off the bench in the 61st minute to achieve this historic milestone.
What happened in Australia’s 2-0 win over Turkey?
The match between Australia and Turkey saw a resilient performance from the Aussies. The Australian side caused an early upset by defeating Turkey 2-0, with Turkey featuring big stars such as Arda Guler and Hakan Calhanoglu.
Australia opened the scoring in the 27th minute through their direct route counter attacking football. Nestroy Irankunda converted a brilliant long ball from the Aussies to make it 1-0. The Turkish side completely dominated possession and kept creating chances throughout the game, registering 28 shots in total.
However, the Aussies remained resilient and, in the 75th minute, Metcalfe sealed the victory with a brilliant finish into the bottom corner to make it 2-0. Nishan Velupillay came on in the 61st minute, replacing goalscorer Nestroy Irankunda.
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Ayushman Sharma is a sports enthusiast with a deep love for football, following the game closely since 2018. A hardcore supporter of NorthEast United FC and FC Barcelona, he has also gained valuable on-ground experience by volunteering during FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Guwahati.