Star Bengaluru FC winger Ryan Williams, who recently ended his chapter as an Australian footballer, has been cleared by FIFA and is now eligible to represent India, the All India Football Federation announced
on Thursday. He relinquished his Aussie citizenship to take up the Indian one.
Born in Perth, Australia, Williams comes from diverse roots; his mother, Audrey, is from an Anglo-Indian family in Mumbai, while his father hails from Kent, England. His maternal grandfather, Lincoln “
Linky” Grostate, even represented Bombay in the Santosh Trophy during the 1950s.Williams, who plays for Indian Super League team Bengaluru FC, has given up his Aussie passport to become an Indian citizen.
“FIFA’s Players’ Status Chamber approves Ryan Williams’ eligibility to represent India The Chamber issued its final decision on November 19, 2025, approving the change of association request for Ryan Williams, thereby making him formally eligible to represent the Indian national team,” AIFF wrote in its statement.
FIFA’s Players’ Status Chamber approves Ryan Williams’ eligibility to represent India
The Chamber issued its final decision on November 19, 2025, approving the change of association request for Ryan Williams, thereby making him formally eligible to represent the Indian national… pic.twitter.com/fZwjYfxQWu
— Indian Football (@IndianFootball) November 20, 2025
The AIFF said that it ‘adhered to FIFA’s regulatory requirements throughout the process’.
Williams has played for Australia U-20 and U-23 sides and represented the senior side as a second-half substitute during a game in 2019 against South Korea as well.
Williams has represented English clubs Fulham and Portsmouth as well, before joining Bengaluru FC two years ago.
Before Williams, Japan-born Izumi Arata took Indian citizenship to represent India 13 years ago and featured in nine games for India in 2013 and 2014.
Williams was in Dhaka with the Indian team for their 2027 Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh, which Khalid Jamil’s team lost 0–1. He was not part of the match-day lineup as FIFA clearance was still pending, even though he had already secured an NOC from Australia.
