FIFA PRESIDENT Gianni Infantino has described India as a “sleeping giant of football”, signalling his intention to accelerate the sport’s growth in the country, he told TOI.
For the first time since the AFC Asian Cup expanded to a 24-team format, India have failed to qualify for the continental finals. Domestically, the top division currently features 14 clubs, yet each side is scheduled to play just 13 matches this season. Meanwhile, the national team has gone 15 competitive fixtures without a win since November 2023.
Despite these setbacks, the coming months could mark a pivotal period. Within the next three months, three Indian national sides will attempt to achieve an unprecedented milestone, qualifying for a FIFA World Cup on sporting merit.
Infantino completes ten years at the helm of FIFA this week. In his original presidential manifesto, the former UEFA general secretary pledged to restore football to the heart of the organisation’s mission and to deliver tangible development initiatives worldwide. Given India’s vast population and participation potential, the country has become a strategic focus for the global governing body.
“We have placed importance on holistic development programmes like FIFA Forward and Football for Schools, both of which India has been committed to. It is also why we identified India as an early target for the implementation of FIFA’s talent development scheme under chief of global football development Arsene Wenger. By offering access to expertise and other resources and promoting knowledge exchange, we will continue to work with the All India Football Federation and Indian clubs to enable men’s and women’s football in the country to reach its full potential,” said Infantino.
FIFA added that its funding framework supports the operational costs of all member associations, alongside financing specific infrastructure and development projects. According to the governing body, without such backing, around 150 member nations would struggle to stage organised tournament football due to limited financial and structural resources.
