Ryan Williams Gives Up Australian Citizenship To Play For India, Joins The Camp With Abneet Bharti

For all football fans, there is some exciting news! Ryan Williams, who is a popular Australian-born footballer and Abneet Bharti are all set to join the Indian national team camp ahead of the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh, which is scheduled for November 18, 2025, in Dhaka. For those who don't know, in early 2025, the star player, Ryan had expressed his desire to get an Indian citizenship and now, he has finally received it. 

Ryan Williams gave up his Australian citizenship

Ryan Williams has often taken to his Instagram account to express the happiness and satisfaction he gets while playing for India and months ago, he took a bold step when he decided to renounce his Australian citizenship and became an Indian citizen. For those who don't know, the football player recently completed all the passport formalities and on November 06, 2025, he shared with his fans that he has received his passport. To share the news, he had penned a sweet message, which could be read as:

"Honoured to make official what’s long felt true. Grateful for the love, the opportunity, and the sense of belonging this country has given me.  As you can see, the last round of interviews was the hardest. India, I’m one of your own!"

Did Sunil Chhetri take Ryan Williams’ interview for an Indian passport?

On November 06, 2025, Ryan Williams took to his Instagram handle to share a fun video with footballer, Sunil Chhetri. The two pretended to be in a mock interview for Indian citizenship, in which Sunil asked him questions like number of pani-puris in one plate and asked him to complete film dialogues of SRK, Amitabh Bachchan and Paresh Rawal. Towards the end of the video, Ryan Williams shared that, now he is ‘one of us’.

Check out the post here!

More about Ryan Williams and Abneet Bharti

For those who don’t know, Ryan and Abneet might be seen playing for India in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh. Amid that, here is a look at Ryan Williams and Abneet Bharti. Abneet Bharti is a well-known 27-year-old footballer from Kathmandu who plays as a center-back. He has been trained in different countries and has played football across Asia and Europe. Over the years, he has gained a lot of experience. Before attending Indian national team cap, he was seen playing for Academia del Balompié Boliviano. 

On the other hand, Ryan Williams is a 31-year-old midfielder born in Perth, who has played for Australia U-20 and U-23 teams. He also represented the senior team as a second-half substitute during a friendly in 2019, against South Korea. Talking about his personal life, his mother was born into an Anglo-Indian family in Mumbai. Meanwhile, his twin brother Aryn spent some time with Indian clubs like NEROCA FC.

Netizens applaud Ryan Williams’ decision to play for India

When Ryan Williams shared the news of receiving an Indian passport, a lot of fans came in support of him and appreciated his bold decision. One user commented, "Finally, someone left a developed country not for a visa, but for a chance to play in the Indian football team- historic moment in reverse migration!" Another user wrote, "He’s too good, way better than any current Indian winger. Up there with prime Sunil Chettri for Indian standards."

What are your thoughts on Ryan Williams giving up his Australian citizenship for an Indian one? Let us know. 

Next Read: Dak Prescott's Fiancee, Sarah Ramos Calls Cowboys' Marshawn Kneeland's Death At 24 'Devastating'

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Get App

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Choose your device Android or IOS (Apple)