India: Why a country of 1.4 billion is not in the football World Cup

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. India: Why a country of 1. 4 billion is not in the football World Cup9 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleGautam BhattacharyyaSports WriterNurPhoto via Getty ImagesA scooter rider passes giant cutouts of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in KeralaWill India ever play at the Fifa World Cup? The familiar lament that Indian football fans have learnt to live with is back after the "greatest show on earth" kicked off last week.

For those tracking the fortunes of the Blue Tigers - as the Indian men's national football team is called - over the years, the question is one of the biggest clichés as the country has never progressed beyond the preliminary rounds of Asian zone qualifiers. The irony, however, lies in the manner in which the World Cup is celebrated in a number of football-crazy Indian states such as West Bengal, Kerala and Goa - or in the growing number of accredited Indian journalists covering the event on the ground despite the country having no stakes in the competition. "We have faced frequent questions in the press box as to whether India plays football.

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Most of them know us as a cricket-playing nation," joked a senior Indian football writer who has covered four World Cups. It's not just India - neighbour China, the world's second-most populous country, has also not qualified for the World Cup again. Fifa, however, is well aware of the importance of these markets, prompting it to dispatch a high-powered media rights team to India to secure a last-minute broadcasting deal for live coverage of the matches.

Getty ImagesIndia's Rahul Bheke vies for the ball with Singapore's Ilhan Fandi during an AFC Asian Cup qualifier in Singapore in 2025So will a place in the World Cup continue to be a bridge too far for India? Baichung Bhutia, former national team captain and arguably one of the biggest names in Indian football, thinks it's not impossible - though there are no shortcuts. "Yes, India can definitely play as nothing is impossible.

The quota of Asian teams have gone up to eight in the bigger 48-team format, where teams like Uzbekistan and Jordan are playing. However, it will require a lot of hard work," he said. Bhutia added that there was no dearth of talent in a big country like India.

What Experts Say

"What is lacking is the right ecosystem as we don't have a serious grassroots programme with a long-term vision. It's the most popular team sport in the world and we will need time for the results to show,'' said Bhutia. Shyam Thapa, 78, who helped India win bronze at the 1970 Asian Games - the country's last major continental success - also emphasised the need for a sustained grassroots programme, saying the key was to bring more children into the game.

NurPhoto via Getty ImagesA woman in Kolkata passes by a large hoarding of Lionel Messi ahead of the World Cup The trace of irritation in his voice was unmistakable.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.