On October 9, 2017, when India faced Colombia in the FIFA U-17 World Cup at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Jeakson Singh etched his name in history by scoring India’s first-ever goal in a FIFA World Cup. The stadium erupted in celebration. However, the joy was short-lived, as Colombia equalised almost immediately and eventually went on to win the match 2–1.
But that fleeting moment of ecstasy, when the whole stadium burst into euphoria and there was deafening applause, felt more like a big IPL match or any other major cricket fixture in India. In the crowd, countless fans cheered for the Indian team, many wearing the team’s T-shirts. The moment felt surreal, as India was playing in the FIFA World Cup. But nearly a decade on, where do we stand now? In a nation of over 1.4 billion people, why have we still not been able to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, even as the tournament now features 48 teams?
Like every FIFA World Cup cycle, the question returns to the forefront as excitement builds across living rooms, social media and TV studios. The debate reignites as fans spin hopeful scenarios, while those who have played football at some level offer a sobering view that many of these hyperactive pundits will fade once the tournament ends.
Even with the World Cup expanded to 48 teams, India’s path still looks far from straightforward. At times, Indian football feels stuck in time. The passion, grassroots academies and leagues exist, but the overall standard remains well behind Asia’s best. There may be no single answer to this, but there are fundamental flaws that must be addressed first.
Former All India Football Federation (AIFF) General Secretary Shaji Prabhakaran believes the problem begins with inconsistency in engagement itself. “We have to be in top nine in Asia by the next World Cup. For the next World Cup, the qualification process starts within the next year or 18 months. We have the potential, but based on where we currently are, it looks very challenging.”
“We can keep dreaming like we always have. But this conversation only comes up every four years, during World Cups and the Olympics," Shaji told ET Online.
“And that is the problem. We only discuss once in four years. We need to do the fundamentals right. That is how we can get there. If you ask me how much time it will take, I would say 12 to 16 years,” he added.
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A system that fails to produce top players
While talking about why India's system is not producing top-level footballers, Prabhakaran offers a blunt diagnosis. “We need to do sincere work, honest work by involving all the stakeholders and improving our governance. But the problem is, unless we start producing high quality players, our system will keep suffering. The simple reason why we don't qualify is that our system is not able to produce players who can compete at that level."
Grassroots: The real weak link?
Contrary to popular belief, infrastructure is not India’s biggest hurdle. “We have enough infrastructure. Infra is not our fundamental problem. Our primary problem is the lack of an organised, structured grassroots ecosystem,” Prabhakaran said.
He further underlined how early-stage development remains deeply flawed: “There is a lot of interest, no doubt. But then there is no structure. The structure is not robust … enough children are not able to play from a very young age in a guided, organised manner.”
“If you're not going to a proper school, you cannot think of getting entry into IIT or IIMS,” he added.
