India's World Cup dream remains distant

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup enters its final week, Gourav Roy, an Indian software engineer based in San Francisco, drove more than 9,650 kilometers across the United States to watch both the semi-finals and the final. For Roy, it was as close as he could get to a childhood dream: seeing India play at a World Cup.

But the possibility of that dream becoming reality grows ever more distant, as entrenched systemic issues and a failure to implement reforms leave the country of 1.45 billion people ranked just 138th in the world, unable even to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup.

“I have learned to love without expectation. That is the burden of an Indian football fan,” Roy said.

While smaller nations like Curacao and Cape Verde have secured spots for the 2026 World Cup, India remains a prime example of wasted potential in the world’s most popular sport.

Those involved in Indian football say the problems lie in poor youth development systems, lack of grassroots popularity, and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) struggling to implement a unified vision through a loose network of state associations.

“If you ask me, cleaning up the system and reorganizing will take a four-year cycle,” Ravi Puskur, CEO of Indian Super League (ISL) club FC Goa, told Reuters. “Then it will take another 20-25 years to get us to the World Cup.”

Confined to small pockets

In a cricket-crazy nation, football is only popular in a few states, such as West Bengal, Goa, Kerala, Mizoram and Manipur. The ISL, launched in 2014 with backing from Reliance Industries, one of India’s largest conglomerates, has tried to change that but achieved only limited success.

In 2025, the AIFF and Reliance did not renew their partnership after negotiations stalled amid a Supreme Court case aimed at imposing a new constitution on the federation. Now under new club management, the ISL has yet to secure a broadcaster or announce its schedule this year.

Mandar Tamhane, CEO of NorthEast United and former head of Bengaluru FC, argues that clubs alone cannot fix Indian football. “You are talking about the government, Indian corporates… it must be a collective effort,” he said. “The federation has to ensure that clubs, state associations, corporates and other stakeholders work together.”

Weak youth development

Lalnghinglova Hmar, an AIFF executive committee member and Mizoram’s sports minister, said the government can help with infrastructure, but Indian football will not progress without a radical overhaul of youth development. “In South Korea and Japan, children play more than 40 competitive matches per season. This is lacking in India,” he said.

According to Hmar, India starts developing players too late; most under-15s only get 12 to 15 competitive games a year. Some are called up to national youth teams after fewer than 20 matches. “We lack qualified coaches. Many states do not even have youth leagues… we cannot compete like this,” he added.

India’s size, which makes it an attractive sports market and drove the huge success of the Indian Premier League cricket tournament, also makes it difficult for the AIFF to implement widespread reforms. “If even half the states do a good job at the grassroots, things will develop,” Hmar said.

The turbulence around the ISL, which forced some clubs to suspend player payments last year, also impacts club development programs. “If you can bring stability, gradually investment will increase,” Puskur said.

Limited opportunities

With India bidding to host the 2036 Olympics, the government is considering issuing “sports passports” that would allow athletes of Indian origin to represent the country. AIFF leaders support the initiative, believing it will help improve the national team’s performance. But the proposal is far from becoming law, and Hmar said Indian football needs to act quickly.

“Other countries are not sitting idle… if we do not catch up with them, even if we improve, we will remain in the same position,” he said.

As Indian football remains in limbo, fans like Roy can only live in hope. “They are talking about a World Cup with 64 teams,” he said. “It won’t hand us anything, but more slots mean more hope.”