Meet Tahsin Mohammed: Qatar's 19-year-old winger with Kerala roots at FIFA World Cup 2026 - All you need to know

For generations, Kerala has been one of the powerhouses in Indian football. Widely known as "Gods Own Country" for its beautiful natural landscape, football in Kerala is treated as a religion just like in the “City of Joy” Kolkata. With a massive support for local teams, Kerala's football culture and the love for the game goes beyond the domestic leagues, the state turns into a mini north America with massive cutouts and flags of Brazil and Argentina adorning the bylanes during the FIFA World Cups every four years.

This year, things will be a bit different. Along with the support of Brazil and Argentina, there will also be a few pockets of backing for Qatar, who are appearing for the second time in football's greatest festival. The reason is quite obvious - 19-year-old Tahsin Mohammed. He thus becomes the second Indian-origin footballer at FIFA World Cup 2026 after New Zealand's midfielder Sarpreet Singh.

Mohammed was named Qatar by head coach Julen Lopetegui in his 26-member final roster for the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Tuesday.

Who is Tahsin Mohammed?

Born in Qatar, Mohammed was born to parents who hail from Kerala. His father Jamshid is a former Calicut University footballer from Thalassery while his mother Shaima hails from Valapattanam in Kannur.

Like many footballers in the country, Mohammed learnt the nuances of football at the Aspire Academy - regarded as one of the best Asian facilities to nurture elite talent. His impressive shows earned him opportunities with Al-Duhail in the Qatar Stars League.

At the young age of 17, Mohammed became the first player with Indian roots at the Qatar Stars League. Having impressed at Qatar's age-group teams, Mohammed broke into the senior side and now stands on the cusp of history.

Qatar at FIFA World Cup 2026

At the FIFA World Cup 2026, Qatar have been drawn in Group B, alongside Switzerland, hosts Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Qatar will open their campaign on June 14 against Switzerland, followed by matches against Canada (June 19) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (June 25).

Notably, Qatar's first appearance at the FIFA World Cup came in 2022 as hosts. With the tournament expanding to 48 tears, Qatar qualified for the main event after finishing on top of Group A in the fourth round of AFC qualification ahead of United Arab Emirates and Oman..

Qatar's FIFA World Cup 2026 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, Edmilson Junior, Almoez Ali, Akram Afif, Mohammed Muntari, ​Youssef Abdulrazzaq, Ahmed Alaa, Hassan Al-Haydos, Ahmed Al-Janahi