With the new, expanded 48 team FIFA WC, is India's qualification inevitable?

[Slog]

In recent years the ISL has started. While Ill be the first one to admit I know next to nothing about it, its bound to have some positive effect

And by the time the WC 2026 rolls around, it may have catapulted India to be near the top 48 teams and a qualification contender

Thoughts?

 

[javiersuka]

48 teams are too many for a WC, even if India qualifies they will most likely play against D grade teams and make a quick exit.

It's like the Qualifying round between Minnows before every T20.

Still better than nothing for those who follow the sport.

 

[jeetu]

India still won't qualify. We are that bad in football. Regressed alarmingly since 60's.

 

[javiersuka]

The Number of slots for the Asian continent would be hiked to Max 9 from Present 5.

Considering guaranteed qualifiers from Asia,

South Korea
Japan
Australia
Iran
North Korea
Saudi Arabia
UAE

That's 7 teams fixed and 2 more spots to play for.

China is also likely to qualify in an extended WC.

 

[Slog]

India still won't qualify. We are that bad in football. Regressed alarmingly since 60's.

The Number of slots for the Asian continent would be hiked to Max 9 from Present 5.

Considering guaranteed qualifiers from Asia,

South Korea
Japan
Australia
Iran
North Korea
Saudi Arabia
UAE

That's 7 teams fixed and 2 more spots to play for.

China is also likely to qualify in an extended WC.

You guys are forgetting that a lot of money is being pumped into Indian football which will take the level up

 

[Couch Cricketer]

You guys are forgetting that a lot of money is being pumped into Indian football which will take the level up

A lot lesser than what is being pumped into chinese football. Football is a lot more popular in Arab and South East Asian countries currently india being ranked outside the top 20 in Asia I dont think they can improve fast enough maybe in 2034 or 2038.

 

[javiersuka]

In the first round of Fifa Qualifiers - Asia, India finished last on table in its group behind Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and even Gaum ( Don't know which country this is)

 

[Varun]

India still won't qualify. We are that bad in football. Regressed alarmingly since 60's.

Were we any good in the 1960s?

 

[Slog]

Were we any good in the 1960s?

india qualified in 50s i think

but didnt play as they refused to play with shoes on.

---dunno if this is a myth though

 

[jeetu]

Were we any good in the 1960s?

Source from wikipedia

The period from 1951 to 1962 is considered the golden era in Indian football. Under the tutelage of legendary Syed Abdul Rahim India became the best team in Asia. The Indian team started the 1950s with victory in the 1951 Asian Games which they hosted. India beat both Indonesia and Afghanistan 3–0 to reach the final where they beat Iran 1–0. In 1952, India continued their form by winning the Colombo Quadrangular Cup held in Sri Lanka. This is called as the Golden time of Indian football. As four years earlier, many of the team played without boots but after the result in the Olympics AIFF immediately made it mandatory to wear boots.

India also won three further editions of the Quadrangular Cup, which were held in Burma, Calcutta and Dhaka in 1953, 1954 and 1955 respectively. India then went on to finish eighth in the 1954 Asian Games held in Manila.

At the 1956 Olympics they finished fourth, this is the second time India made second history in the world of football. India first met hosts Australia, winning 4–2 with Neville D'Souza becoming the first Asian to score a hatrick in the Olympics and also making India the first Asian team to reach the Olympic semi-finals. They lost 4–1 to Yugoslavia, and lost the third place play-off match 3–0 to Bulgaria.

India participated in the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo, Japan where they finished fourth, and the Merdeka Cup 1959 in Malaysia finishing second. The side started off 1960 with Asian Cup qualifiers in which they failed to qualify. India went on to win the 1962 Asian Games where they beat South Korea 2–1 in the final, and two years later finished second in the 1964 Asian Cup which was held in round-robin format. India played in the Merdeka Cup in 1964, 1965 and 1966 where they finished 2nd, 3rd and 3rd .

 

[JaDed]

15 years slog ,ISL clubs who have to compulsory train young kids have just started to train then and to scout kids and play them to even qualify we need time coz situation is bad, only kerala,Bangalore,Eastern states ,Goa are massively into football

 

[street cricketer]

I came across India's FIFA ranking a few weeks ago and I had to double and triple check before I could believe it. It was something in the mid 130s but I'm dead sure I saw it being in the mid 160/170s some time back.

I'm still not sure about it, maybe I'm mixing up different rankings as I don't remember India doing anything major in international football recently. Srini mama at work maybe?

 

[street cricketer]

On topic, with the advent of the ISL and the increase in exposure of the public to the game, I think the competitiveness will naturally improve. But still needs a good infrastructure and the passion for the game is still only major in Kerala, north east and the metropolitan cities (and even that is not major). Anyway the maximum ceiling I see is India becoming competitive like the arabic nations in football but not higher than that. To go anywhere higher, you need football to replace cricket as the no.1 game which I don't see happening anytime sooner.

 

[kaayal]

I have been to an ISL match at Kochi last year (against the North east United). The atmosphere was soo electrifying that the stadium was full of yellow army like the Borussia Dortmund fans. There was around 80 000 KBFC fans out there on the step, roof literally everywhere. I felt like the whole stadium was shivering. And the noise level was upto 123db...


It was like a carnival for us Keralites tbh.

Regarding India's chances in WC 2026, We have no infrastructure and talent to live up to the level of FIFA WC as far as now. By adding these number of teams in WC they are actually destroying the wonderful format of WC.

 

[SandyB]

15 years slog ,ISL clubs who have to compulsory train young kids have just started to train then and to scout kids and play them to even qualify we need time coz situation is bad, only kerala,Bangalore,Eastern states ,Goa are massively into football

But the combined population of these states is bigger than most of the European nations and some of the South American countries that play football.. Some of these states are socially better off as well . So the raw materials & passion are already there.. Just need a competent system in place to utilize what's available..
Indian sports like Football & Tennis suffer here mainly due to the sheer incompetence and corruption in their managing associations, which are government controlled.
Really wish there was something like the BCCI for growing the game of football here.. !Hope the ISL leads to much more professionalism .

I have been to an ISL match at Kochi last year (against the North east United). The atmosphere was soo electrifying that the stadium was full of yellow army like the Borussia Dortmund fans. There was around 80 000 KBFC fans out there on the step, roof literally everywhere. I felt like the whole stadium was shivering. And the noise level was upto 123db...
View attachment 71969

It was like a carnival for us Keralites tbh.

I was there in ISL 2 , for a match .. The atmosphere is electrifying !!. Its a given since the Kochi Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium used to have a capacity of 70000 before renovation. It has had a great atmosphere even for the rare occasion cricket matches were allotted there.. (Sachin has 2 fifers there !).

But the football crowd gives even a full capacity Eden gardens a run for its money !

 

[JaDed]

But the combined population of these states is bigger than most of the European nations and some of the South American countries that play football.. Some of these states are socially better off as well . So the raw materials & passion are already there.. Just need a competent system in place to utilize what's available..
Indian sports like Football & Tennis suffer here mainly due to the sheer incompetence and corruption in their managing associations, which are government controlled.
Really wish there was something like the BCCI for growing the game of football here.. !Hope the ISL leads to much more professionalism .





I was there in ISL 2 , for a match .. The atmosphere is electrifying !!. Its a given since the Kochi Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium used to have a capacity of 70000 before renovation. It has had a great atmosphere even for the rare occasion cricket matches were allotted there.. (Sachin has 2 fifers there !).

But the football crowd gives even a full capacity Eden gardens a run for its money !

Corporates will be the reason for professionalism,this rival league was created y Reliance because they were mistreated by the NFL owners and apparently I hear its going to merge now,which is great as Bangalore would be a great addition and also players won't be loaned and vice versa.

 

[Ankit007]

The way our football is improving... I think we can qualify by 2026... We are ranked 129 in world and 19 in Asia...of they pick 9 teams from asia then India will have to improve a lot. But improvement rate is impressive. So I think yes we can. We are having many popular clubs like la Liga, arsenal etc which have set up their academies in India to train boys. we have lots of players going to Europe. Recently our captain played for stabaek in UEFA cup and had clean sheet as a goalkeeper... we have very good chances of qualifying for asia cup this time and play against likes of Australia and Japan... that will be good exposure too...

So yes we can if we constantly improve the way we are...