If you are an Indian, and a football fanatic like me, then watching the blue tigers take the field at the grandest stage of football is a dream you wish would become a reality one day. Well, with the quadrennial competition allowing the participation of 48 teams instead of 32 in 2026, and guaranteeing eight spots for Asian countries, there’s never been a better chance. Yes. There is a chance for India to play in its first-ever FIFA World Cup in 2026. But the 11 players on the pitch and the coach in the dugout alone cannot make this dream come true. India needs to stand together as a football nation and make conscious decisions that will not only promote this beautiful sport in India but also bolster the functioning and development of the football ecosystem in our country.
Why Was India’s Participation In The Asian Games Uncertain?
The football teams’ participation had remained uncertain even though the entries were already sent to the Asiad after IOA president PT Usha recently wrote indicating the government rules will be strictly followed. So the rules state that for team events, teams ranked in the top eight in Asia will be cleared for the Games. while the men are ranked 99th in the world after recent successes, the women are 60. However, the men are 18th in Asia and the women 11th. But keeping in mind the recent triumph in the SAFF Championship, not to mention the amazing build-up plays and performances as a well-drilled unit, The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, has decided to relax the rules to facilitate the participation of both the teams, which were not qualifying as per the existing criterion.
What The Asian Games Participation Means For Indian Football
So, Indian Football fans, now that we have received the green light to participate in the upcoming Asian Games, it’s time to be excited and to be seriously getting behind our team! Although it would be U-23s taking part in this tournament due to the competition’s rules, it would be valuable exposure and experience for our youngsters at this prestigious competition. Also, a maximum of 3 senior players can be a part of the U-23 squad. There’s talk that Sunil Chhetri, Sandesh Jhingan, and Gurpreet Singh would be the ideal senior candidates. But regardless, India men’s team should be encouraged by the fact that their group contains two teams (Myanmar and Bangladesh) who are ranked way lower than them in the latest FIFA Men’s Football rankings. Though China will pose tough competition, Igor Stimac’s side will be confident of comfortably booking a place in the knockouts and going deep into the competition. But the same cannot be said for our U-23 women’s team. They have been drawn with two higher-ranked sides Chinese Taipei and Thailand for the upcoming competition. But altogether, I’m pleased that our football players get to participate in the Asian Games. This really shows the eagerness of our Government to develop India as a footballing nation. As a developing football country, we need to actively participate in these competitions, as playing with tougher opposition and better players is only going to prove beneficial to our players in the long run.
What’s Next For Indian Football
India is currently ranked 99th in the FIFA Men’s World Rankings, following their triumph over Kuwait in the SAFF final in what turned out to be an extraordinary match. Defeating Kuwait has enabled India to seal the final spot in Pot 2 of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, thereby directly qualifying for round 2 of the qualifiers. 36 teams in round 2 will be divided into 9 groups each consisting of 4 teams. If you finish in the top two of your respective group, you will qualify to round 3. And if you finish in the top 2 of your drawn group in round 3, then voila! You’re into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
I’m sure you all remember the heartwarming video where our Indian captain Sunil Chhetri was pleading with all Indian fans with folded hands to come show up in stadiums and support them. It’s because like it or not, Indian football fans are in the minority, compared to the overwhelming fan following towards cricket. Very few people were willing to go to stadiums and watch matches. Back in 2019, attendance barely crossed 20k. But in 2023, Kerala Blasters and Mohun Bagan have averaged nearly 30,000 every week. And so, there is evidently a shift in the fan base. People are starting to realise that all this distant talk of India playing in the world cup, is not so distant anymore. People are asking, following, and watching again. But more importantly, people are dreaming again.
We Indian fans are no strangers to misery and disappointments. So, as fans, we are not dreaming too far or hoping for too much. We want to take it game after game. First, it’s the Asian Games. Then, we have the King’s Cup, Merdeka Cup, and Asia Cup. Then we play Qatar in the first match of our FIFA qualifiers. Qatar is one of the best footballing nations in Asia, but we have proved in the recent past that we can go head-to-head with them and give them a tough fight. We are not being far-sighted, but our eyes have hope and our hearts have faith that one day, we will be singing “Vande Mataram” in a FIFA World Cup Match. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.
And from there on, what if we start to take off as a footballing nation? With a population double of all 55 UEFA-associated countries, we could become unstoppable.