Striker Ryan Williams, who renounced his Australian passport to become an Indian citizen, has joined the national football team’s camp in Bengaluru under head coach Khalid Jamil, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) confirmed on Sunday.
The 32-year-old Perth-born forward arrived in camp alongside defender Jay Gupta. Last week, Bengaluru FC released a video of Williams and Sunil Chhetri revealing that Australia had renounced his citizenship.
“Forward Ryan Williams and defender Jay Gupta have joined the senior men’s national team camp in Bengaluru,” AIFF announced on X.
The inclusion of Williams marks a potentially transformative moment for Indian football. Earlier this week, the AIFF invited two overseas players – Williams and Abneet Bharti – to the national camp ahead of India’s AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in Dhaka on November 18.
The move signals a significant shift in the federation’s approach and paves the way for footballers of Indian origin and those willing to renounce foreign citizenship to represent India at the international level.
The national camp began in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Williams’ citizenship ceremony was held at FC Bengaluru’s training facility and Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri presented him with his Indian documents. Williams, who has been part of Bengaluru FC since 2023, described the moment as deeply emotional.
“It is an honor to make official what has long been believed to be true. I am grateful for the love, opportunity and sense of belonging this country has given me. As you can see, the last round of interviews was the hardest. India, I am one of you,” Williams wrote in an Instagram post, referring to Chhetri’s attendance at the ceremony.
Williams’ mother was born in Mumbai, while his father is from Kent, England. His decision makes him only the second Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) player to become eligible to play for the national team.
Before Williams, Japanese-born Izumi Arata took Indian citizenship to represent the Blue Tigers in 2012 and won nine caps between 2013 and 2014.
Williams has previously represented Australia at under-20 and under-23 levels and made his senior international debut as a second-half substitute in a 2019 friendly against South Korea. His club career saw him play for English clubs Fulham and Portsmouth before his move to the Indian Super League where he was a key presence for Bengaluru FC.
As India prepares for AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, Williams’ addition brings both experience and a sense of renewal – a rare case of a player choosing identity and belonging over comfort and a symbolic step forward for Indian football’s global ambitions.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
November 9, 2025
