New Delhi: During the FIFA World Cup of 2026 has produced disturbances, from Cape Verde to Curaçao, two minutes of international football, Indian football team they see what is happening in their beautiful homes. In addition, the top league has no fixed income, with the governing body, the All India Football Federation (AIFF), to approve the way forward with the clubs.At the same time, social media has been abuzz with questions and controversies as to why India continues to miss the World Cup, despite being expanded to 48 teams. It has allowed players like Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan to compete in the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the USA. Sandesh Jhingan, the head of the Indian national team, said that the country has made progress in international football but has been hampered by inconsistencies in domestic football.“When I started back in 2015, I remember talking to the players and I said, the first thing is that we should always be in the Asia Cups. We got to 2019. We got to 2023. And our goal is to play with the big Asian teams and go there and get results. We did it against Qatar, against China. We got the first result against Thailand. So we were on the right track,” said Sandesh Jhingan, Zee5’s analyst. FIFA World Cup.“First of all, why do we only ask this question every four years? You know what I realized? I just arrived in India a few days ago. And I installed this channel, Unite8 Sports. 24 hours showing football. And I’ve been playing football, I’ve been part of the national team for more than ten years now. Watching football 24 hours gives me a lot of joy. After the World Cup every four years, are we doing enough every six months or three months to reach that level?
I think right now the most important thing for us as a nation is to have regular, regular domestic football for boys, girls, men, women of all ages.
Sandesh Jhingan
“So the importance of the same period, do we have a stable league? How many games did we play last year? How many months have our players been at home? These are the real questions that need to be asked.“I think right now the most important thing for us as a nation is to have stable, stable domestic football for boys, girls, men, women of all ages and have a plan for the next five years so we know that this is what is going to happen in the next five years.“And around this, the coach of the national team can build the country, friendships and important games. So what we need is order and stability,” he said.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu argued on social media that before we dream of appearing in the FIFA World Cup, we should play the Asia Cup regularly. (Instagram)
Earlier, India’s first wicketkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu echoed Jhingan’s sentiments in a social media post.“I really like the conversation that a lot of people are having about why we’re not on the toilet [World Cup]. People asking questions and answering is important,” he wrote on Instagram.“As a footballer, let me tell you. We are not in the WC because we are not in the Asia Cup. To get to the WC, we have to be consistent in the Asian Cup and be consistent in the knockout stages. It is a gradual process. So the real question is, why are we not in the Asia Cup?” he added.‘You have managed to do as well as Argentina, England’
Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Vozinha saves the ball during the FIFA World Cup Group H match against Spain in Atlanta. (AP)
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has brought several disappointments. A lowly New Zealand holding Iran to 2-2, Qatar keeping Switzerland at bay, Paraguay beating Germany in the Round of 32 have been some of the biggest surprises. But arguably none was bigger than the third smallest country in the history of the World Cup Cape Verde 0-0 against Spain. They then followed it up with a 2-2 draw against Uruguay.“The obvious one is Cape Verde. After the result of Spain, you can think that the next game will be split. This was a lot of thought,” said Jhingan when asked which group of newcomers impressed him.“(But) You are in the same competition as Argentina, who did well. You are in the same competition as England, who have also managed to do well. You are also qualified on merit.
Cape Verde players celebrate after the World Cup Group H match against Spain in Atlanta. (AP)
“So there is no difference between them and you until the final whistle is blown, until the contest is called off. Until then it’s 11 vs 11, and who can do the job in the best way. “And that’s why football is the best game, because no matter how many great players you have, no matter how many stars you have, on a given day, if you don’t play well, and the other team does, they can get results.“And that’s what he showed against Spain and then Uruguay. And I liked and admired, that even until the final, he continued to go victorious,” he concluded.Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 LIVE and exclusively on ZEE 5 in Hindi, English, Malayalam, and Bangla.
