Football News: Due to India's standing in international football, reaching the FIFA World Cup is incredibly difficult

The 2026 edition will have 48 teams, 16 more than the number of teams that participated this year, making it mandatory for FIFA to change the format of the group stages.

An arrangement of three-team groups was entertained previously, which would increase the number of slots given to the Asian Football Federation (AFC) to eight.

Although Asian teams will benefit from the new setup, the Indian men's football team still has a long way to go. India is currently ranked 106th and 19th in Asia, so the men in blue need to cause significant upsets to qualify.

Most teams ranked above 50th make it to the World Cup, but India can follow in the footsteps of North Korea, who qualified despite being ranked 105th in 2010. The lowest-ranked team this year was Ghana at 61st.

Recently, India have beaten Afghanistan, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Maldives and Nepal but have lost to better-ranked teams like Bahrain and Jordan. 

Reasons why India might not qualify for World Cup 2026

Lack of efficient governing body

Indian football is tainted by systemic issues that recently came to the forefront. In August 2022, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) was suspended by Fifa for unwarranted third-party involvement. 

The former AIFF president Praful Patel had appointed a Committee of Administrators (CoA) due to governance issues, but FIFA could have handled it better. 

Inability to scout talent 

India's growth is noticeable but slow to a fault. The country was called "the sleeping giant of football" by former FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2006.  

Although Indian football has progressed since, they haven't been able to break into the top 100 for ages. Football experts believe the talent in the country needs to be honed and nurtured as players hit their early teens. 

India still need to catch up in this department, as football academies need more solid infrastructure and good coaching. India additionally only invites European scouting networks that could identify and cultivate talent at a higher level. 

Meanwhile, clubs like Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla have launched their academies or are collaborating with India. However, these collaborations sometimes tend to be money-making arrangements. 

Lack of cultural popularity

Another factor that perpetuates India's negligible growth in football is its lack of popularity in significant parts of the country. Cricket is the preferred sport in India, and football fans are mostly found in places like the North East, Goa, Kerala, and Bengal. 

Unless that changes, Indian football will continue to swim in mediocrity. The low interest shown by Indians has led to lower marketability of football. 

This, in turn, leads to ignorance towards football facilities, leagues and coaching. There is eventually a cumulative impact on the country due to these numerous inconveniences for prospective football investors. 

It is hoped that India's market potential will widen the scope of football in India in the long term. As of now, India's qualification for the World Cup in 2026 remains a distant dream.