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Why India Skipping 1950 World Cup Still Haunts Them

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1950 World Cup

India stadiums Football
Photo courtesy of Motera Stadium Ahmedabad Facebook

1950 World Cup

India stadiums Football
Photo courtesy of Motera Stadium Ahmedabad Facebook

With football being such a large part of daily Indian culture, why is it that the country is ranked so poorly in FIFA ranks? Football was once India's No. 1 sport - not so much in the last half century.

While it's rarely discussed, what happened at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil still plays a huge role in what's going on with football in India.

Indian National Football Team

Indian National Football Team
Photo courtesy of "India Football photos" on Facebook

Indian National Football Team

Indian National Football Team
Photo courtesy of "India Football photos" on Facebook

The fact of the matter is that the All India Football Federation (AIFF) thought the Jules Rimet Cup - which is what the World Cup was referred to until 1970 - didn't think the tournament was that big of a deal.

The trip to Brazil would have required much organization and expenditure, and simply put, AIFF didn't think it was worth.

Long-Term Impact

FC Goa Indian Super League ISL
Photo courtesy of FC Goa Facebook

Long-Term Impact

FC Goa Indian Super League ISL
Photo courtesy of FC Goa Facebook

Initially, skipping the 1950 tournament didn't seem to have any long-term impacts. Domestically, football continued growing. However, when India won the 1983 cricket World Cup, the nation seemingly forgot about football. Cricket became more than a game, it became a way of life for Indians.

Now, players from around the world go to the IPL to play cricket. With the ISL in place, football now has the potential to be what it could have been.

Rohit Ghosh is a Senior Writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RohitGhosh. “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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