Why is India Not at FIFA?

2 hours ago 8

The FIFA World Cup is taking the world by storm. The tiny nation of Cape Verde is challenging Spain. Curacao, with just 1.5 lakh people, is competing and holding its own against strong teams. And India? We couldn't even qualify. Indian football has been on pause for months — not because of talent, but because of a feud between the governing body and a private company. Meanwhile, FIFA is set to earn $13 billion from this year's tournament. Behind every match you watch, there are crores at play. So why are our young players still fighting for sponsorships, training, and basic rights? This year, 48 teams are in the World Cup. Even Iran — torn by war — got its team to the US on 24-hour visas. India is ranked 138th in FIFA. We've never qualified. Why? Because we aren't even regulars in the Asian Cup. That's not a talent problem. That's a system problem. India's demographic dividend is at a crossroads. Sports could harness this young population. But only 6% of Indians participate in sports. In China, it's 20%. In the US, it's 25%. Beyond infrastructure, motivation is the issue. A child is either sent to cricket coaching or to NEET-JEE coaching. Staying healthy is not a priority. Sports is not just about medals. It's about building a healthier, happier generation. Is India’s sports infrastructure, its budgets, and investment in human capital geared towards it? Let’s find out in Cracknomics this week. #SportsEconomy #FIFA13Billion #SportsBusiness #GlobalSports #IndianFootball #FIFA2026 #SportsBudget #SportsOpportunity #EconomicGrowth Join The Wire's Youtube Membership and get exclusive content, member-only emojis, live interaction with The Wire's founders, editors and reporters and much more. Memberships to The Wire Crew start at Rs 89/month. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChWtJey46brNr7qHQpN6KLQ/join

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