India World Cup qualification remains distant despite bigger tournament

India World Cup qualification remains a distant target even as the tournament expands, Reuters reported, with the national team ranked 138th and already out of the running for the 2027 Asian Cup. The gap matters because India has a population of 1.45 billion and a large football following in some regions, yet smaller countries such as Curacao and Cape Verde reached the 2026 World Cup.

Reuters reported that Gourav Roy, an Indian software engineer based in San Francisco, drove more than 9,650 kilometres across the United States to watch the 2026 World Cup semifinals and final. Roy told Reuters his deeper wish since childhood was to see India play on that stage.

The problems described by people in Indian football include limited youth development, uneven popularity across the country and a national federation that has struggled to align state associations behind one plan. Ravi Puskur, chief executive of Indian Super League club FC Goa, told Reuters that reorganising the system could take four years, followed by another 20 to 25 years to reach the World Cup.

Why has India not qualified for the World Cup?

India has not qualified because its football system has not produced enough players at the level needed for elite international competition, according to officials and club executives cited by Reuters. They pointed to too few competitive matches for young players, a shortage of qualified coaches, weak state-level youth leagues and instability in the professional league.

Football also has a narrower base in India than cricket. Reuters reported that the sport is strongest in states such as West Bengal, Goa, Kerala, Mizoram and Manipur, rather than across the whole country.

The Indian Super League was launched in 2014 with backing from Reliance Industries, but its attempt to broaden the sport’s reach has had limited results, Reuters reported. In 2025, the All India Football Federation and Reliance did not renew their partnership after talks stalled while a Supreme Court case over a new federation constitution continued.

Reuters reported that the ISL, now under new management led by clubs, had still not finalised a broadcaster or announced fixtures for the current season. The uncertainty has affected club planning, and some teams suspended player salaries last year, hurting development programmes.

NorthEast United chief executive Mandar Tamhane told Reuters that clubs cannot solve the problem by themselves. He said the federation must bring together clubs, state associations, companies and other stakeholders, with support from government and corporate India.

What needs to change in Indian football?

Lalnghinglova Hmar, an AIFF executive committee member and Mizoram’s sports minister, told Reuters that the government can help build infrastructure, but youth football needs a major reset. He said players in South Korea and Japan play more than 40 competitive games a season, while many Indian under-15 players get only 12 to 15.

Hmar also told Reuters that some players enter youth national camps after fewer than 20 competitive matches, and that many states lack youth leagues. He said India’s size makes reform harder, even though that same scale has helped cricket’s Indian Premier League become a major success.

The government is also considering a “sports passport” as India bids to host the 2036 Olympics, Reuters reported. The plan would allow athletes of Indian origin to represent the country, and AIFF leaders support it as a possible boost for the national team, though Reuters reported the idea is still far from becoming law.

Roy told Reuters that talk of a 64-team World Cup gives fans more hope, while not guaranteeing India a place. For now, the country’s route to the tournament depends less on expansion and more on whether its football authorities can build a stable league and a deeper player pipeline.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.