FIFA World Cup 2026 | Indian-origin Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid creates history, makes it to Qatar squad

The 19-year-old, who plies his trade with Qatar Stars League club Al Duhail, hails from Kerala and is a product of the famous Aspire Academy.

Indian origin player Tahsin Mohammed Jamshid created history after being named in the Qatar's 26-man squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

As Spaniard Julen Lopetegui unveiled the squad built on Asian champions’ core, Tahsin made the cut, incidentally becoming the first Indian-origin player to make it to the quadrennial extravaganza.

The 19-year-old, who plies his trade with Qatar Stars League (QSL) club Al Duhail, hails from Kerala and is product of Aspire Academy, which is the nerve-centre of football in the Middle East country.

“For me, Qatar is my own country. I'm a Qatari citizen. Having already played for Qatar’s U-17 and U-19 teams, this selection didn't come as a surprise," the QSL striker was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

Tahsin is the son of Jamshid, a former Calicut University footballer from Thalassery, and Shaima, who hails from Kannur.

Two-time Asian Player of the Year Akram Afif and country's all-time top scorer Almoez Ali are the main players in Qatar's World Cup squad.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup champions prepare for a tournament that ⁠could redefine their standing on the global stage.

Qatar ‌head to the World Cup starting on June 11 ​aiming to move beyond a disappointing 2022 campaign on home soil, where they became the first host nation to lose all three group matches despite heavy investment and high expectations.

Since then, however, the Gulf ​side have quietly rebuilt ⁠momentum, retaining the AFC Asian Cup in 2023 and qualifying for the World Cup on merit for the first time.

Lopetegui’s squad retains a familiar core, with several players from the 2022 ⁠team included, such ‌as defender Pedro Miguel, goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham and midfielders Assim Madibo, Abdulaziz Hatem and Karim Boudiaf.

The group ‌remains largely shaped by Qatar’s Aspire Academy, which has underpinned the country’s ⁠rise over the past decade and fostered continuity and cohesion.

Qatar's preparations for World Cup ​has yielded mixed results. The Al Annabi suffered a surprise group-stage ⁠exit at the Arab Cup on home soil in December, while planned friendlies against Serbia and world champions Argentina in March were cancelled because of the war on Iran, denying ⁠Lopetegui a chance ‌to test his side against top-level opposition.

At FIFA World Cup 2026 to be co-hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico, Qatar are drawn in Group B along with Switzerland, Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Al Annabi will open their campaign against Switzerland in Santa Clara on June 13 before taking on co-hosts Canada in Vancouver on June 18 and wind up their group engagements with amatch against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle on June 24.

Qatar squad:

Goalkeepers: Salah Zakaria, Mahmoud Abunada, Meshaal Barsham.

Defenders: Hashmi Hussein, Ayoub Alawi, Boualem Khoukhi, Pedro Miguel, Issa ​Laaye, Lucas Mendes, Sultan Al Brake, Homam Al Amin.

Midfielders: Mohammed Al Manai, Jassem ​Jaber, Karim Boudiaf, Ahmed ​Fathi, Abdulaziz Hatem, Assim Madibo.

Forwards: Tahseen Mohammed Jamshid, Edmilson Junior, Almoez Ali, Akram Afif, Mohammed Muntari, ​Youssef Abdulrazzaq, Ahmed Alaa, Hassan Al Haydos, Ahmed Al Janahi. 

(With QFA Media inputs)