Chhetri’s Recommendation Paves the Way for Ryan Williams to Join Indian Football Team

The Indian men’s football team could soon see a historic addition to its ranks as Australian-born forward Ryan Williams moves closer to representing India. His inclusion stems from an unexpected source in national captain Sunil Chhetri, whose recommendation set the process in motion earlier this year.

With India struggling for attacking depth and Chhetri’s goals from open play drying up, several players — including Lallianzuala Chhangte and Liston Colaco — were tried without consistent success. During the national camp in May, Chhetri proposed that his Bengaluru FC teammate, Ryan Williams, might be the answer.

“During the national camp in May in Kolkata, Sunil Chhetri told me that Ryan was interested in getting the Indian passport and that he had submitted his details to the relevant government authorities in Bengaluru,” All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey told Sportstar. “I reached out to the respective departments in New Delhi.”

Williams, who previously represented Australia at the U-19 and U-20 levels and earned a single senior cap in a 2019 friendly, was eligible to switch under FIFA rules since his only appearance was not in a competitive match.

A mainstay at Bengaluru FC since 2023, Williams has been a key attacking figure, scoring 10 goals and assisting four in 38 appearances across two Indian Super League (ISL) seasons. His contribution helped the team reach the ISL Cup final earlier this year, solidifying his reputation as one of the club’s most reliable forwards.

Chaubey credited the central government and the Sports Ministry for fast-tracking Williams’s nationality change. “The whole process of a foreigner getting an Indian passport usually takes a lot of time, sometimes years, as multiple agencies are involved and clearances from the Home Ministry and Ministry of External Affairs are required,” he explained. “But it was completed in just seven months, and I’m thankful to the Sports Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, for ensuring the process.”

Williams will be added to India’s list of probables for the AFC Asian Cup third-round qualifier against Bangladesh on November 18. Once Football Australia issues a No Objection Certificate (NOC), he will be eligible to wear the India jersey in Dhaka.

However, the probables list will notably exclude Chhetri himself. “A senior player like him is a great example, so I wanted him to be part of the rebuilding. But he said it is best that we plan without him. It is his decision and I respect that,” head coach Khalid Jamil told Hindustan Times.

India’s final qualifiers against Bangladesh and then Hong Kong will mark the end of its 2027 AFC Asian Cup campaign, but Williams’s inclusion could signal a new era for Indian football’s attacking ambitions.