The rise of football popularity in India

Football is one of the most popular sports all over the world, millions of fans follow the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022 making it one of the most viewed sports events of the year. Football is a very popular sport in Europe and South America, but in the last couple of years, the interest in this sport has extended to new places, reaching new audiences.

One of the countries showing a growing interest in this sport is India, this nation is well known for their passion for cricket, which is the most popular sport. The increasing interest in football has modified the perception of India as a one sport nation, to a country with a variety of interests regarding sports.

The growth in popularity of football

In the last few years, India has established new leagues in football, such as the Indian Super League. With the increased interest of the population in this sport, the Indian Federation of Football, has invested resources to develop infrastructure focused on improving the conditions and the possibilities of growth of football. The resources go from the use of technology, inclusion of women, to policies to help clubs to invest in new players. This has made it easier for football, to gain more audience and make competitions more interesting to all viewers.

Furthermore, the development of sports orientated online platforms are magnifying the reach for new audiences to consume this sport. This has brought the international competitions, such as the European Champions League more available to the people, also sports platforms are featuring competitions of all sorts of sports showing an increase on information related to football games, for more info about sports statistics, read further at CricketExpert.

Women’s World Cup

Last year the FIFA U-17 Women´s World Cup was hosted by India. This tournament was a huge success, and proved the great business potential that football has, such as the increase of broadcasting of the games, and the expansion of football sponsorships. All these new developments in the football industry have an impact on the reach of young audiences, which are changing the sport culture in India into a larger range of options for a sport profession for all genders.

At present, India has four leagues of football and around ten different tournaments, including the ones played by the national team. With more investment and the growing interest, football is gaining a relevant place in the sport culture of this country, nonetheless Cricket is still the most played and watched sport in India.

In conclusion, football has undoubtedly experienced a significant surge in popularity in India in recent years. Driven by a range of factors such as the growth of the Indian Super League, the rise of talented Indian footballers, and the increasing interest of global football organizations in the Indian market, the sport has captured the imagination of millions of Indian fans. While cricket remains the country’s national obsession, football’s newfound popularity is a positive sign for the growth and diversification of India’s sports culture. With continued investment and development, it’s likely that football will continue to thrive in India in the years to come, inspiring a new generation of fans and players alike.