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)	Men; Women
Nickname(s)	The Blue Tigers
First played	1800s
National competitions
	Senior Men's National Football Championship ; Senior Women's National Football Championship ; U20 National Football Championship ; Junior Boy's National Football Championship ; Sub-Junior Boy's National Football championship ; Subroto Cup ; Junior Girl's National Football Championship ; Sub–Junior Girl's National Football Championship ; National Beach Soccer Championship ; National Games of India ; Khelo India University Games ; Khelo India Youth Games
Club competitions
	List Leagues: Indian Super League; I-League; I-League 2; I-League 3; State leagues (men's, women's); Institutional League; Elite League; Indian Women's League; Indian Women's League 2; AIFF Futsal Club Championship; ; Cups: Super Cup; Federation Cup; Durand Cup; ; ;
International competitions
	List Clubs AFC Champions League Two; AFC Women's Club Championship; AFC Futsal Club Championship; AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup; ; ; National team FIFA World Cup: Qualified (1950) Did not participate; Summer Olympics: Semi-finals (1956); AFC Asian Cup: Runners-up (1964); SAFF Championship: Champions (1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023); AFC Challenge Cup: Champions (2008); Nehru Cup; Intercontinental Cup (India); Asian Games: Champions (1951, 1962); ; ; National U-17 team FIFA U-17 World Cup: Group stage (2017); AFC U-16 Championship: Quarter-finals (2002, 2018); ; ; Women's national team AFC Women's Asian Cup: Runners-up (1979, 1983); ; ; Women's U-17 national team FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup: Qualified (2021, 2022); ; ; National futsal team 2022 AFC Futsal Asian Cup, 2024 FIFA Futsal World Cup (Did not enter); ; ; National minifootball team WMF World Cup: Group stage (2015, 2017, 2019); Asian Minifootball Championship (TBA); ; ; National six-a-side team Socca World Cup: Group stage (2018, 2019); ; ; National seven-a-side team IFA7 Mundial: Group stage (2017); ; ; National beach soccer team AFC Beach Soccer Asian Cup: Group stage (2007); Asian Beach Games: Group stage (2008); ; ;
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 three most-popular sports in India, the others being cricket and kabaddi.^[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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