Shamik Chakrabarty, Mumbai
Only a couple of days ago, Cape Verde, a country with a population of 5.25 lakh, qualified for the 2026 World Cup finals. Close on its heels came India’s ouster from the AFC Asian Cup after they were beaten by the 159th-ranked Singapore. India, a country of 1.4 billion people, had already sent the long kiss goodnight to their World Cup prospects.
Where does Indian football go from here? Is there a future? “There is always a future, but we need a complete, radical overhaul of the system,” said Bhaichung Bhutia, the former Indian football team captain, speaking to RevSportz. “Actually, we have to wait for one more year. The current AIFF management under Kalyan Chaubey needs to go. They have taken Indian football deeper in the mire over the last three years.”
Bhutia, who stood for election against Chaubey in September 2022 and lost, called missing out on the Asian Cup qualification a real setback. In fact, India have missed out on the continental tournament for the first time since it expanded to 24 teams in 2019. “It’s a shame that we can’t qualify for the Asian Cup, which is now played with 24 teams,” said Bhutia. “India’s Fifa rankings have slipped to 139th (134). The Indian team played under three coaches over the last three years. There’s uncertainty over the I-League. Grassroots development is non-existent.”
It was a bit surprising that the All India Football Federation (AIFF) had slashed the budget for grassroots development and courses from Rs 1 crore to Rs 22 lakh in 2024-25. The Federation received more money from Fifa (an increase from Rs 16.21 crore to Rs 21.16 crore) and Asian Football Confederation (an increase from Rs 9.10 crore to Rs 10.91 crore) in that fiscal. “I wonder where all the money is going,” asked Bhutia, the first Indian footballer to play for an English club, Bury FC.
A dearth of talent is a reason why the Indian team is replete with deadwood. In absence of a quality striker, a 41-year-old Sunil Chhetri had to be brought back to the national team fold. “We don’t have quality players for the Indian team because we aren’t nurturing talents,” observed Bhutia. “Unless there’s a complete change, nothing will happen. We need people with passion, sincere commitment, and a will and intent to develop the game.”