Football is a popular sport in India.

[4] Football has enjoyed popularity

in Kerala, West Bengal, Goa and north-eastern India which consists
of Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal
Pradesh, and Sikkim.[2]

In 2013, India's current top domestic football league Indian Super

League was formed as an unrecognised professional league with eight teams
to promote Indian football to the country and world. After third season, it was
recognised as the second national football league, running parallel with the I-
League, thus leaving India as one of the few countries with two fully
recognised football leagues.[5]After fifth season, it was recognised as the top
domestic football league in India. Also contested is Santosh Trophy, a knock-
out competition between states (provinces) and government institutions.

The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup was hosted by India in the month of

October in 2017 and the first time the country had hosted a FIFA event. The
tournament was touted as the most successful FIFA U-17 World Cup ever,
with the attendance being a record 1,347,133 surpassing China's 1985 edition
where it was 1,230,976. India is also going to host the 2020 FIFA U-17
Women's World Cup. Owing to this, India has also bid to host the 2019 FIFA
U-20 World Cup and is considering a bid for the 2023 FIFA Women's World
Cup

The origin of football in India can be traced back to mid-nineteenth century

when the game was introduced by British soldiers. Initially, games were
played between army teams. However, clubs were soon set up around the
country. Calcutta FC was the first club to be established in 1872, though
reports suggest that they were initially a rugby club and switched their
attentions to football as late as 1894. Other early clubs include Dalhousie
Club, Traders Club and Naval Volunteers Club.[7] Several other football clubs
like Sovabazar, Mohun Bagan and Aryan Club were established
in Calcutta around the 1890s. Calcutta, then capital of British India, soon
became the hub of Indian football. Tournaments like Gladstone Cup, Trades
Cup and Cooch Behar Cup was also started around this time. The Durand
Cup and IFA Shield were both started in late nineteenth century.

The first Indian team to achieve success was Sovabazar Club, which won the
Trades Cup in 1892. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club was set up in what is now
West Bengal in 1889. The club became famous in 1911 when it became the
first Indian team to lift the IFA Shield, a tournament previously won only by
British teams based in India. It defeated the East Yorkshire Regiment 2–1 in
the final of the tournament in a victory that is still regarded by many as the
greatest win by an Indian team before Independence.

The Indian Football Association (IFA) was established in Calcutta in 1893,

but did not have a single Indian on its board until the 1930s. The All India
Football Federation, which runs the game in India, was formed in 1937, but
took more than a decade to get affiliated with FIFA. India also insisted on
playing barefoot when other nations were putting their boots on and the game
was changing fast.[8]

India qualified by default for the 1950 FIFA World Cup as a result of the
withdrawal of all of their scheduled opponents. But lack of financial
assistance to purchase tickets including the prospects of a very long sea
journey meant that the team never made it to Brazil.[8][9] Although FIFA
imposed a rule banning barefoot play following 1948 Olympics where India
had played barefoot. The myth that Indians refused to play because they were
not allowed to play barefoot is not entirely true, according to the then Indian
captain Shailen Manna, it was just a story to cover up the disastrous decision
of the AIFF. The team has never since come close to qualifying for the World
Cup.[9][10][11][12]

India even picked up the gold medal in football in the first Asian Games in
1951, beating a "booted" Iran by a solitary goal. In 1956, after having put on
its boots, India reached the semi-final in Melbourne Olympics football, the
first Asian country to do so. It stood fourth in the tournament. In 1962, India
again picked up the football gold in the Asian Games.[8] 1951–1962 is usually
considered as "golden phase" of Indian football. The National team won
numerous titles in this era under the coaching of Syed Abdul Rahim. Other
than success in Asian Games football, India also won Merdeka Cup and
Quadrangular Tournament while East Bengal garnered rave reviews after its
tour of Romania. Rahim's death in the early 1960s pegged Indian football
back after a successful period. The former FIFA president Sepp Blatter once
famously said that India is "the sleeping giant of world football".[13]

India never qualified for the Olympics after 1960.[8] India did qualify for its
first Asian Cup in 1964 but failed to capture the title. India's last important
performance in an international tournament was in 1970 Asian Games, when
it won the bronze medal by defeating Japan 1–0. In the mid-70s, Indian youth
team jointly won the Youth Asian Cup with Iran. 24 September 1977, was a
golden day for Indian Club football, when Mohun Bagan managed to hold on
for a memorable 2–2 draw at the legendary Eden Gardens stadium in
Calcutta, against a Pele led New York Cosmos. Mohun Bagan would have
gone on and won the tie, had it not been for a controversial penalty awarded
to the visitors that ensured the spoils were shared. The next day, the Ananda
Bazar Patrika described Goutam Sarkar as "India's very own Beckenbaur".
Indian football would however go through a barren phase in 70s, 80s and 90s,
gradually losing its foothold as a top Asian team.

In August 2007, the Indian national team won the Nehru Cup for the first
time in its history beating Syria 1–0.[14] In August the following year, India
defeated Tajikistan 4–1 to lift the AFC Challenge Cup and in turn qualified
for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. In August 2009, India again won the
Nehru Cup beating Syria on penalties (6–5).

In January 2011 India played in the 2011 Asian Cup which was the first time
India has played in the Asian Cup for 24 years. India were knocked out in the
group stage which contained South Korea, Australia, and Bahrain.

Ever since the 2011 Asian Cup the All India Football Federation has been

working very hard on Indian Football. For instance they allowed former
coach Bob Houghton coach the Indian side in the 2012 AFC Challenge
Cup qualifiers. After going first in there AFC Challenge Cup group Bob
Houghton was sacked and replaced by Wim Koevermans. Meanwhile,
the India national under-23 football team won the first round of the 2012
Olympics qualifiers against Myanmar but were knocked out by Qatar. India
played their next official matches against United Arab Emirates in the 2014
FIFA World Cup qualifiers which India lost on aggregate 5–2.

In 2014, India hosted the first-ever Unity World

Cup in Goa, Hyderabad and Bangalore.