Sports

Explainer: India would have been away from the FIFA World Cup due to fans’ innumerable performance, poor planning and weak grassroots level.

By Samira Vishwas

Why India unable to qualify for FIFA World Cup? Every four years a discussion gains momentum in India. That discussion is about Team India not qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in football. Only one question arises in the mind of every football lover of India and the question is ‘why don’t we become a part of the World Cup’? It happens.

FIFA World Cup 2026 is starting today i.e. from 11th June. Which Indian fans can enjoy from the morning of 12th June. In this series, the football lovers of India will enjoy football, but there will be a sour feeling in their mind of not being able to see their team on this biggest stage of football.

More than 30 crore viewers of football in India

Many Indian fans of FIFA World Cup 2026 are ready to stay awake at night and enjoy it. During this time he will dream while discussing about the future star after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. According to KMG’s 2025 report, currently the number of football viewers in India is more than 30 crores. The biggest question that will arise in front of these 30 crore Indians in this World Cup is why India is not seen on such a big stage?

Why is India lagging behind in football?

Indian football team is currently ranked 139th in the world. It is really disturbing that this country with a population of around 140 crores is lagging so far behind in the world’s most popular sport. Indian Super League is being organized in India on the lines of IPL for the last few years. Despite this, Indian football is currently facing many uncertainties.

There are many reasons responsible for the current situation of Indian football. The biggest problems are the lack of stability in the domestic leagues, limited investment in grassroots infrastructure by clubs and a weak system of talent development. Additionally, a large number of spectators support foreign leagues and clubs, while Indian football receives relatively less importance.

There are millions of football fans in India and there is a huge craze for everything from FIFA World Cup to European club football. Despite this, domestic football in the country is not getting the support it needs. This is the reason why Indian football is constantly facing challenges.

lack of media support

Compared to cricket, football receives much less support from sponsors and media. Its effect is clearly visible on domestic competitions also. The country’s major league Indian Super League (ISL) has also been going through a period of uncertainty for some time. Due to lack of adequate investment and strong business model, the development of football is not gaining the expected pace.

Also read: There will be a unique thrill in FIFA World Cup 2026, these 8 real brothers will be seen playing for different countries.

need improvement now

Football is the second most popular sport in India in terms of viewership. There are about 30 crore football spectators in the country, while cricket is at the first place with 61 crore spectators. After this comes Kabaddi (28 crores), Wrestling (16 crores), Hockey (15 crores) and Badminton (14.5 crores). Experts believe that the situation can be improved by increasing investment in clubs and academies, expanding competitions at school and university level and integrating talented players of Indian origin into the national football structure.

Samira Vishwas 1262 posts 0 comments
You might also like More from author

Comments are closed.