New Delhi: At a time when the 2026 FIFA World Cup has created strange disturbances, from Cape Verde to Curaçao, two minnows of world football, the Indian football team watching the action unfold from the comfort of their homes. Additionally, the top-tier domestic league does not have a concrete financial structure, with the governing body, the All India Football Federation (AIFF), yet to ratify the way forward for the clubs.At the same time, social media was abuzz with questions and debates as to why India continued to be absent from the World Cup, even though it was expanded to 48 teams. This allowed the likes of Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan to make their tournament debuts in Canada, Mexico and the USA. Sandesh Jhingan, captain of the Indian national team, says the country has made some strides in continental football but has been hampered by controversies in domestic football.“When I debuted in 2015, I remember talking to the players and I said, first we need to be regular in the Asian Cups. We reached 2019. We reached 2023. And our goal is to play against the big teams in Asia and go there and get a result. We did that against Qatar, against China. Even before, we got the result in the Asian Cup. We are on the right path,” said Sandesh Jhingan, who is a Zee5 expert for FIFA World Cup.“First of all, why do we only (ask) this question every four years? You know what I noticed? I just arrived in India a few days ago. And I put this channel, Unite8 Sports. 24 hours it shows football. And I play football, have been part of the national team for more than a decade now. Watching football 24 hours gives me great joy. the World Cup is just after four years, enough are we doing it every six months or three months to reach that level OR is it just a question to ask every four years and then forget about it?
I think now the most important thing for us as a country is to have a strong, structured domestic football for boys, girls, boys, girls in all age groups
Sandesh Jhingan
“So the need of the hour is now, do we have a strong league? How many games did we play last year? How many months did our players sit at home? These are the real questions that need to be asked.“I think now the most important thing for us as a country is to have a strong, structured domestic football for men, women, men, women in all age groups and have a plan for the next five years so that we know that this is what will happen in the next five years.“And around that, the coach of the national team can build for the country, the friends and the important games. So what we need is structure and stability,” he continued.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu argued in a social media post that before dreaming of FIFA World Cup appearance, we should play Asian Cup more often. (Instagram)
Earlier, India’s first-choice goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu agreed with Jhingan’s views in a social media post.“Absolutely love the conversation a lot of people have about why we’re not in the WC [World Cup]. People need to ask questions and be held accountable,” he wrote on Instagram.“As a player, I can tell you. We are not in the WC because we are not in the Asian Cup. To reach the WC, we must be regular in the Asian Cup and then be regular in the knockout stages of the same. It is a step-by-step process. So the real question is, why did we not reach the Asian Cup?” he added.“You qualify on merit like Argentina, England”
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha saves the ball during the FIFA World Cup Group H match against Spain in Atlanta. (AP)
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has caused a lot of trouble. Bottom-ranked New Zealand holding Iran to a 2-2 draw, Qatar holding off Switzerland, Paraguay beating Germany in the Round of 32 were some of the biggest shocks. But arguably none was bigger than the third smallest nation in World Cup history Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw against Spain. They then followed it up with a 2-2 draw against Uruguay.“Most obvious is Cape Verde. After the Spain result, you could have guessed that the next game they’re going to fall apart. That was the general perception,” said Jhingan when asked which team from the newcomers impressed him.“(But) You are in the same tournament as Argentina, who qualified on merit. You are in the same tournament as England, which is also qualified on merit. You are also eligible 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 trophy is lifted. “And that’s the reason again why football is the greatest sport, because no matter how many great players you have, no matter how many stars you have, one day, if you don’t play to your full potential, and the other team does, they will get a result.“And that’s what they showed against Spain and then Uruguay. And I love it and admire it, that even until the end, they keep winning,” he concluded.Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 LIVE and exclusively on ZEE 5 in Hindi, English, Malayalam, and Bangla.