Why Ryan Williams Is Not Playing in India vs Bangladesh Tonight?

The AFC Asian Cup 2027 Final Round Qualifier between India vs Bangladesh football is eagerly awaited, but supporters wondering Is Ryan Williams playing today, will be let down. The Australian-born forward is awaiting final international clearance; therefore, even though he obtained an Indian passport and travelled to Dhaka with the team, he is not eligible for the matchday roster.

Williams' absence highlights the complex administrative hurdles involved in switching national allegiance, even after fulfilling the demanding requirement of surrendering foreign citizenship.

Why Will Ryan Williams Not Play Despite Noc?

The path for Ryan Williams to play for India requires more than just domestic eligibility and the blessing of his former federation. Although the Ryan Williams Noc update is reportedly complete, clearing the first major administrative hurdle, his debut remains blocked by the need for subsequent, formal approvals from FIFA.

According to Indian journalist Marcus Mergulhao, Ryan Williams has received his no-objection certificate from Football Australia. In his social media post, he said, “Ryan needs approval from FIFA before registration.” He added, “Matchday squads need to be completed on match day minus one, which is 11:59 pm last night.”

As the final, necessary clearances from FIFA have not been received and formally processed in time for the India vs Bangladesh football match, Williams remains ineligible to be named in the matchday squad.

Williams Commitment to India

Williams is directly related to India through his mother, born in Mumbai. However, to get his Indian passport, he had to make the remarkable call of renouncing his Australian citizenship because dual citizenship is banned in India.

That choice opens the door for him to play for the Blue Tigers and is a big and rare commitment. Williams had trained with the team in Bengaluru, travelled to Dhaka with them, and scored in a recent closed-door friendly - a testament to the fact that he is fully committed to the club.

The All India Football Federation is pushing to get Indian Overseas Citizens into the national system, and the 32-year-old is only the second player to do so. The Indian great Sunil Chhetri led his citizenship ceremony at Bengaluru FC's training site, making it all so memorable. With the final approval coming from the federal government in New Delhi, Williams had the full support of his family, the Bengaluru FC management, and the Karnataka State Football Association in his quest.