Indian-Origin Footballers at FIFA World Cup 2026: The Complete Data Breakdown

Why DR Congo and Not France

Under FIFA rules, a player qualifies for a national team if a biological parent or grandparent was born there, even if the player himself was born and raised elsewhere. Moutoussamy's mother is from Kinshasa, which made him eligible for the Leopards.

He debuted for DR Congo in October 2019 and has visited his mother's family in Kinshasa multiple times, building a genuine connection rather than treating it as a passport of convenience.

Club Career: Nantes, Sivasspor, and Atromitos

At Nantes, Moutoussamy built a long, steady career, racking up 144 appearances for the Canaries and a loan year at Dutch club Fortuna Sittard along the way. In 2024 he moved to Turkish side Sivasspor for a single season before signing with Atromitos in Greece.

At Atromitos he made 35 appearances across all competitions and scored three goals, all in the Greek Super League, numbers that reflect a steady, dependable midfielder rather than a flashy one.

Tactical Profile: What Actually Makes Him Valuable

Reading the Game from Deep Midfield

Moutoussamy's value shows up in the numbers that do not make headlines. Against Portugal in the World Cup opener, he completed 84 percent of his passes and made two tackles in a defensive midfield role against a side packed with Champions League quality.

Why Coaches Trust Him in Big Moments

National team coach Sebastien Desabre has used him as a consistent first choice option since 2019, and he has now passed 55 caps for the Leopards, including a run to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and a World Cup qualification campaign.