India national football team

The India national football team is a fledgling team ranked in the mid-100s in the FIFA World Rankings. The team coach is Steven Constantine from the United Kingdom. The captain is Bhaichung Bhutia from Sikkim. Bhutia is the only contemporary Indian to have played professional football, for Bury in the English Football League.

The Indian team enjoyed much better times, having qualified for the 1950 World Cup, but were disqualified as they refused to play in boots. India also finished 4th in the football tournament at the Melbourne Olympics.

Government apathy, the rise of cricket and poor sponsorship have led to the lack of quality players from India. However the sport is widely followed in most parts of the country.

World Cup record

• 1930 to 1938 - Did not enter
• 1950 - Withdrew after qualifying
• 1954 to 1970 - Did not enter
• 1974 - Withdrew
• 1978 - Did not enter
• 1982 - Did not enter
• 1986 - Did not qualify
• 1990 - Withdrew
• 1994 to 2006 - Did not qualify

Asian Cup record

• 1956 - Did not enter
• 1960 - Did not qualify
• 1964 - Second place
• 1968 - Did not qualify
• 1972 to 1980 - Did not enter
• 1984 - Round 1
• 1988 to 2004 - Did not qualify