‘Do we have a stable league? How many games did we play last year?’: Sandesh Jhingan on India’s absence from FIFA World Cup | Football News
New Delhi: Just as the 2026 FIFA World Cup delivers a shocking upset, two minnows in world football, from Cape Verde to Curacao, indian football team Watching this unfold from the comfort of your own home. Additionally, the top domestic league does not yet have a concrete financial structure in place and its governing body, the All India Football Federation (AIFF), is yet to approve the way forward for clubs.Meanwhile, social media is abuzz with questions and debates as to why India continues to miss the World Cup, despite the expansion to 48 teams. It allowed countries such as Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan to make their debuts at tournaments in Canada, Mexico and the United States. India has made some progress in continental football but is hampered by inconsistency in domestic football, said national team captain Sandesh Jingam.“When I made my debut in 2015, I remember talking to the players and I said, the first thing is we need to keep the routine in the Asia Cup. We lasted until 2019. We lasted until 2023. Our goal was to play against the big teams in Asia and get results. We did that against Qatar, against China. Even in the first Asia Cup, we got results against Thailand. We could have qualified. So we are on the right.” Zee5 Expert Sandesh Jhingan said: fifa world cup.“First of all, why do we only ask this question once every four years? You know what I noticed? I just arrived in India a few days ago. I started this channel, Unite8 Sports. It’s football 24 hours a day. I’ve been playing football and been a part of the national team for over a decade. We’ve never had that much footage of football on TV for kids to watch. So instead of asking why we’re not doing it four years after the World Cup, is it just a matter of asking it every four years and then forgetting about it?
I think the most important thing for us as a country right now is stable, structured domestic football for boys, girls, men, women of all ages
Sandesh Jingam
“So the big thing right now is, do we have a stable league? How many games did we play last year? How many months were our players at home? Those are the real questions that need to be asked.”“I think the most important thing for us as a country right now is to establish a stable, structured domestic football for all ages, boys, girls, men, women, and have a plan for the next five years, so we know that’s what’s going to happen over the next five years.“Around this, the national team coach can prepare for the country, friendlies and important matches. So what we need is structure and stability,” he continued.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu said in a social media post that before dreaming of playing in the World Cup, we should attend the Asia Cup more often. (instagram)
Previously, India’s main goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu posted on social media that he agreed with Jin An’s view.“Love how so many people are talking about why we are not going to the World Cup [World Cup]. Questions and accountability are necessary,” he wrote on Instagram.“As a player, I can tell you. We didn’t get to the World Cup because we didn’t get to the Asian Cup. To get to the World Cup, we have to become a regular in the Asian Cup and then become a regular in the Asian Cup knockout rounds. It’s a step-by-step process. So the real question is, why didn’t we get to the Asian Cup?” he added.“You qualified for the competition based on your strength, just like Argentina and England.”
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha makes a save during the World Cup Group H match against Spain in Atlanta. (Associated Press)
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has seen many upsets. The bottom-ranked New Zealand drew 2-2 with Iran, Qatar defeated Switzerland, and Paraguay defeated Germany in the round of 32. These are the biggest impacts. But arguably no country was bigger than Cape Verde, the third smallest country in World Cup history, who drew 0-0 with Spain. They then drew 2-2 with Uruguay.“The most obvious one is Cape Verde. After the result in Spain, you could have guessed that they would fall apart in the next game. That was the general sentiment,” said Jinan when asked which rookie team impressed him.“(But) you play in the same tournament as Argentina and they advance on merit. You are participating in the same tournament as the England team, and they also qualified based on their strength. You are also eligible.
Cape Verdean players celebrate after their World Cup Group H match against Spain in Atlanta. (Associated Press)
“So, until the final whistle blows and the trophy is lifted, there is no difference between them and you. Until then, it’s 11 versus 11 to see who can get the job done in the best way.” “That’s why football is the greatest sport, because no matter how many big-name players you have, no matter how many stars you have, on a given day, if you don’t reach your full potential and another team does, they can get the result.“That’s how they performed against Spain and Uruguay. I loved it and admired it, even until the end they continued to fight for the victory,” he concluded.Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 live streaming exclusively on ZEE 5 in Hindi, English, Malayalam and Bengali.
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