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FIFA World Cup clash features Indian-origin players on both sides
DR Congo’s Samuel Moutoussamy and Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa featured in the same World Cup match for opposing sides in Houston.
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Ankita Baidya - Fri, 19, Jun 2026
- 05:19 EDT
- 32
Samuel Moutoussamy and Diogo Costa appeared on opposing sides in Portugal’s 1-1 draw against DR Congo. / Twitter / @FCPorto and @S_Moutoussamy
DR Congo’s Samuel Moutoussamy, whose father hails from Tamil Nadu, and Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa, whose grandfather was born in Goa, both featured in June 17 Group K opener in Houston in what is being described as the first instance of two players of Indian origin appearing against each other in a FIFA World Cup match.
Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo at Houston Stadium on June 17, with the African side securing their first-ever point at a World Cup finals. João Neves gave Portugal an early lead in the sixth minute before Yoane Wissa equalised with a header just before half-time, marking DR Congo’s first-ever World Cup goal.
Also Read: Canada blanks Qatar for its first-ever FIFA World Cup win
DR Congo, competing in their first World Cup since 1974 when the nation was known as Zaire, produced a resilient performance against the European side. Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa started the match and was beaten by Wissa’s equaliser.
Samuel Moutoussamy made his #FIFAWorldCup 2026 debut. His Indian-origin Dad is from Tamil Nadu
— Best of Indian Football (@IndianFootyBest) June 18, 2026
Another Indian-origin GK Diogo Costa also played in the game. His Grandfather is from Goa
FIRST-TIME in World Cup history that 2 Indian-origin players faced each other pic.twitter.com/DQW0FF6tyG
Samuel Moutoussamy was born in Paris to a Congolese mother and an Indo-Guadeloupean father of Tamil descent. The Indo-Guadeloupean community traces its origins to South Indian indentured labourers who migrated to the Caribbean in the late 19th century.
Born on August 12, 1996, Moutoussamy plays as a defensive midfielder and has represented DR Congo internationally since 2019. He currently plays club football for Greek side Atromitos. While he did not register a goal contribution in the match, he recorded an 84% pass completion rate and two tackles.
Diogo Costa’s link to India comes through his paternal grandfather, Augusto da Silva Costa, who was born in Aldona, Goa, during the Portuguese colonial period before later settling in Switzerland.
Born on September 19, 1999, in Rothrist, Switzerland, Costa plays as a goalkeeper for FC Porto, where he serves as captain. He has previously represented Portugal at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024, and was part of the squad that won the UEFA Nations League in 2025.
While players of Indian origin have featured in previous World Cups for different countries, the Portugal- DR Congo fixture is being noted for the rare instance of two such players appearing on opposing sides in the same World Cup match.
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