Football in India

Football in India
Football in India
	Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, West Bengal
Country	India
Governing body	All India Football Federation (AIFF) ; (formed in 1937, joined FIFA in 1948)
National team(s)	India Men's; India Women's; India U-23 Men's; India U-20 Men's; India U-20 Women's; India U-17 Men's; India U-17 Women's; India Futsal Men's; India Futsal Women's ; India Beach soccer Men's; India Esports
Nickname(s)	The Blue Tigers
First played	1800s
National competitions
	List Senior Football Championship: Senior Men's National Football Championship; Senior Women's National Football Championship; National Beach Soccer Championship; ; U23 Football Championships National Games Football; ; U21 Football Championships Swami Vivekananda National Football Championship (U20); Khelo India Youth Games (U-21); ; U19 Football Championships Junior Girl's National Football Championship; ; U17 Football Championships Junior Boy's National Football Championship; Sub-Junior Boy's National Football championship; Sub–Junior Girl's National Football Championship; Khelo India Youth Games (U-17); ; University Football Championship: Khelo India University Games; ; Inter-School Football Championships Subroto Cup; ; ;
Club competitions
	List Leagues: Mens Indian Super League (1st tier); I-League (2nd tier); I-League 2 (3rd tier); I-League 3 (4th tier); State leagues (5th tier - 9th tier); AIFF Futsal Club Championship; Youth League; ; Women's Indian Women's League (1st tier); Indian Women's League 2 (2nd tier); State leagues (3rd tier); ; Institutional League; ; Cups: Super Cup; Durand Cup; ; ;
International competitions
	List Clubs AFC Champions League Elite; AFC Champions League Two; SAFF Club Championship; AFC Women's Champions League; AFC Futsal Club Championship; ; National team FIFA World Cup: Qualified (1950) Did not participate; Summer Olympics: Semi-finals (1956); AFC Asian Cup: Runners-up (1964); Asian Games: Champions (1951, 1962); SAFF Championship: Champions (1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023); Intercontinental Cup (India); Tri-Nation Series; Defunct AFC Challenge Cup: Champions (2008); Nehru Cup; ; ; National U-23 team Asian Games: Round of 16 (2014, 2022); South Asian Games: Runners–up (2004, 2016); ; National U-20 team AFC U-20 Asian Cup: Champions (1974); SAFF U-20 Championship: Champions (2019, 2022, 2023); ; National U-17 team FIFA U-17 World Cup: Group stage (2017); AFC U-17 Asian Cup: Quarter-finals (2002, 2018); SAFF U-17 Championship: Champions (2013, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023); WAFF U-16 Championship: Runners-up (2018); ; National futsal team 2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup; ; National beach soccer team AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup: Group stage (2007); Asian Beach Games: Group stage (2008); ; Women's national team AFC Women's Asian Cup: Runners-up (1979, 1983); Asian Games: Group Stage (1998, 2014, 2022); SAFF Women's Championship: Champions (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019); South Asian Games: Champions (2010,2016,2019); ; Women's U-20 national team AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup: Quarter-finals (2004); SAFF U-20 Women's Championship: Champions (2022, 2024); ; Women's U-17 national team FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup: Group Stage (2022); AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup: Group Stage (2005); SAFF U-17 Women's Championship: Champions (2018, 2019); ; ;
Audience records
Single match	131,781 ; (1997 Federation Cup Semifinal: East Bengal F.C. VS Mohun Bagan A.C. at Salt Lake Stadium, 1997)

Association football is one of the four most-popular sports in India, the others being Cricket,Kabaddi and Hockey.^[5] The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) recognises the Indian Super League as the national football league of India.^[6] The Santosh Trophy is a knock-out competition among Indian states and government institutions.

India hosted the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, the first FIFA event the country hosted; it was called the most successful FIFA U-17 World Cup ever, with a record-breaking attendance of 1,347,133, exceeding China's previous record of 1,230,976 in 1985. India also hosted the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and bid to host the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup but lost to Poland.^[7]

The Indian national football team qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup but did not participate.^[8]

^ Sharma, Mukesh (11 July 2010). "BBC Sport — Football — World Cup 2010: India's football absence examined". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 January 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
^ Wilson, Bill (10 April 2012). "BBC News — Football looks to score in India". Bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
^ "India skipped FIFA World Cup in 1950". Archived from the original on 6 August 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
^ "Mohun Bagan and East Bengal: A derby to remember". inbedwithmaradona.com. 24 July 2013. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
^ Sharma, Nandini (23 April 2019). "Sports Galore: Uncovering India's Top 20 Most Popular Sports". Kreedon. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
^ "BBC News — Can India ever learn to love football?". BBC News. Bbc.co.uk. 14 February 2014. Archived from the original on 16 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
^ "FIFA Council decides on key steps for the future of international competitions". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 16 March 2018. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018.
^ Choudhury, Chandrahas (11 June 2014). "Blame India's World Cup Drought on the Shoes". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2016.

[news.bbc.co.uk-1] Sharma, Mukesh (11 July 2010). "BBC Sport — Football — World Cup 2010: India's football absence examined". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 January 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.

[Wilson-2] Wilson, Bill (10 April 2012). "BBC News — Football looks to score in India". Bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.

[3] "India skipped FIFA World Cup in 1950". Archived from the original on 6 August 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2022.

[4] "Mohun Bagan and East Bengal: A derby to remember". inbedwithmaradona.com. 24 July 2013. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2015.

[5] Sharma, Nandini (23 April 2019). "Sports Galore: Uncovering India's Top 20 Most Popular Sports". Kreedon. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.

[6] "BBC News — Can India ever learn to love football?". BBC News. Bbc.co.uk. 14 February 2014. Archived from the original on 16 February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.

[7] "FIFA Council decides on key steps for the future of international competitions". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 16 March 2018. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018.

[India_1950-8] Choudhury, Chandrahas (11 June 2014). "Blame India's World Cup Drought on the Shoes". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2016.

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