Check Out The Complete History Of Football In India

Football is the most followed sport in the world. The popular global sport is also considered an intensely emotional game. While the Football players try to ensure that the game is played fairly, tensions are so high that players from opposite teams, or even the same teams, feel the heat. The history of football owes much of its mass appeal to its simplicity. The most followed football leagues, such as the English Premier League and the Spanish La Liga, as well as big international events like the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euros, and the Olympics, follow the standard universal football rules and regulations. The history of Indian football is a roller-coaster ride with some memorable highs, persistent lows and a missed opportunity to play at a FIFA World Cup. In this blog, we take a look at the glorious highs and complete history of Football in India.

History of football in India - Asian Giants who missed out on FIFA World Cup opportunity

1. Origin of football in India: 1800-1900

Football arrived in India with British colonizers in the mid-19th century. Initially, the sport was limited to British army and naval officers stationed in India. Calcutta FC, India’s first football club, is believed to have been established in 1872. However, it is suggested that it began as a rugby club before transitioning to football in 1894. However, it was not until the arrival of Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikari that Indian football found its true pioneer. The legendary football administrator established several football clubs across Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) and Bengal, significantly boosting the game’s popularity. As a result, Calcutta and Bengal became the capital of football in India. The three major football clubs in Kolkata, Mohun Bagan established in 1889, Mohammedan Sporting Club founded in 1891, and East Bengal set up in 1920, were all indirectly influenced by the movement started by Sarbadhikari. All three clubs are still in existence. Sovabazar Club were the first all-Indian club to beat a British team (East Surrey Regiment) to win the 1892 Trades Cup and set the stage for Mohun Bagan’s historic IFA Shield win almost two decades later.

In 1893, Sarbadhikari, also known as the father of Indian football, played a crucial role in establishing the Indian Football Association (IFA). The IFA served as the governing body of football in the country before the All India Football Federation (AIFF) was founded in 1937. Sarbadhikari’s football revolution spread to other parts of India and played a major role in popularizing the game in Kerala, which, along with Bengal and Hyderabad, would become the hotspots of Indian football. The Durand Cup, the oldest active football tournament in Asia today, started in 1888. India’s football championship for the states, the Santosh Trophy, has been running since 1941. Sunil Chhetri is regarded as one of the best Indian football players. When you talk about Indian football history, you can't skip the name of Indian Football captain Sunil Chhetri.

2. The golden era of football in India: 1900-1970

In 1911, Mohun Bagan's victory in the IFA Shield, where they defeated the East Yorkshire Regiment in the final, was a significant moment. It marked the first time an all-Indian club had won the prestigious trophy and had a notable impact on India's freedom struggle. In 1940, Mohammedan Sporting replicated the same emotions by beating Warwickshire Regiment 2-1 in the final, becoming the first non-Indian team to lift the iconic Durand Cup trophy. The history of football, especially the most followed football leagues, as well as big international events like the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euros, and the Olympics, follow the standard universal football rules and regulations. An Indian team consisting of Indian and British players travelled to Sri Lanka (known as Ceylon at the time) for what marked the Indian football team’s inaugural official foreign tour.

Legendary footballer Gostha Pal, who is regarded as the first captain of the Indian football team, led the squad during the trip. In 1937, the AIFF was formed. The next year, the Indian national football team travelled to Australia for five friendly matches, marking its first trip outside Asia. In the fourth friendly match against Australia on September 24, 1938, India's R. Lumsden scored three goals in a 5-4 loss in Sydney. This marked the first international hat-trick recorded by an Indian football player. Following India's independence in 1947, the Indian football team's first official assignment was a trip to London for the 1948 Summer Olympics. India lost their debut Olympic football match 2-1, but Sarangapani Raman scored independent India’s first-ever international goal.

However, the team, including Sailen Manna, made the football news for making Les Bleus sweat until the final minute. Eight of India’s players played barefoot in the match. At the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, the Indian football team, led by the legendary Syed Abdul Rahim, created history by becoming the first Asian team to reach the semi-finals in Olympic football. They achieved this by defeating hosts Australia in the quarter-finals. The Samar Banerjee-led team narrowly missed out on a medal. The period between 1948 and 1970 is often considered the Golden Era of Indian football. The Indian football team win two Asian Games gold medals (1951 and 1962) and one bronze (1970). India qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, but AIFF refused to send a team due to disagreements over team selection and insufficient practice time. India has not yet qualified for the Football World Cup.

3. Setback and the rebuilding of Indian football: 1970 to present

Indian football failed to capitalize on its earlier success, and over the next few decades, India, once considered an Asian giant, gradually slipped down the pecking order. There were a few scattered successes. Despite having talented players like Bhaichung Bhutia, IM Vijayan, and Jo Paul Ancheri, India failed to meet the infrastructural and technical needs of the modern game. In the past fifteen years, Indian football has experienced a significant revival. A major milestone was achieved when the national team, led by a young Sunil Chhetri, won the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, marking an important step forward for Indian football. The Indian Super League (ISL) was established in 2014 and gradually became part of the Indian football calendar, eventually replacing the I-League as the country’s top-tier league competition in 2022-23. Sunil Chhetri, who is third on the list of active international goal scorers in the world after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, has played a massive role in the rise of Indian football.