India’s football landscape today remains beset by dire troubles, highlighted by mediocre results and a troubling fall in interest. To make things worse, the national men’s team has never qualified for the World Cup. Currently, they are languishing atop the 133rd spot in the FIFA rankings, their lowest standing in almost a decade. With only one win in their last 16 matches, the situation has left the football community feeling “worried, hurt, [and] scared,” according to Sunil Chhetri, India’s record goal-scorer.
Chhetri’s most recent goal in June brought his international total to 95, an incredible number. He sits fourth behind only international superstars Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Ali Daei on the all-time scoring leaderboards. Despite his individual success, the overall state of Indian football is still dire. Feverishly popular, the Indian Super League (ISL) operates from September to April. The tour has suffered from declining TV ratings and diminished engagement from sponsors, making attempts to resurrect the sport a more difficult challenge.
Subrata Paul, the custodian for the national football team and former captain of the same, accepted that it is tough right now. He stated that “Indian football, like any growing ecosystem, will face its share of challenges and transitions.” Paul emphasized the need for introspection during this challenging period, noting, “I see this as a time to pause, reflect and refocus.”
The ISL, once a promising alternative, has had a hard time keeping its excitement and energy, leading to questions about its future. Kalyan Chaubey, president of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and a politician with the governing Bharatiya Janata Party, recently met with football legend Arsène Wenger. In 2023, Wenger traveled to India to help launch an academy. For one, he lamented that the country was late in adopting football training. He highlighted the fact that waiting until age 13 to develop talent is far too late.
This pause, according to Paul, is a golden opportunity. We need to invest more into the overall youth development, infrastructure and coaching quality if we want to sustain this success. “It’s an opportunity to strengthen our foundation,” he remarked, underscoring the importance of building a robust system for nurturing future talent.
In contrast to cricket and hockey, which monopolize the Indian sporting landscape, football struggles to be seen. Yet it fights for attention from fans and funding. The game enjoys immense popularity, especially in the Eastern and Southern parts of the country, with Kolkata and Kerala becoming hubs of football passion. Yet, on the national stage, it still sits a far third in popularity.
As Touché remarked, “India has a history of success in football. The country made it to the Olympics four times from 1948 through 1960. Victory at the 1956 Melbourne Games was a high point for India. They eventually finished fourth after a heartbreaking defeat to Bulgaria in the bronze-medal match.
Indeed, these successful times lie buried under the sand of history as present times present a dismal picture for Indian football. Jaydeep Basu highlighted concerns over internal governance within the AIFF, stating, “There is a caucus working in the AIFF of two or three people who are running the show for their own benefit.” Those mounting challenges have added to a climate of fear and uncertainty that has engulfed the world of football.
