India’s recent defeat to Hong Kong was not just a disappointing result, it was another grim reminder that the foundations of Indian football are dangerously weak. While public outrage targets players, coaches, and federations, these responses remain superficial. The truth is stark: Indian football is not in decline; it is collapsing from within. This is a crisis built over years, driven by unchecked egos, corrupt practices, and a toxic culture of complacency.

The Illusion of Growth

To the untrained eye, Indian football appears to be thriving. Major domestic leagues are televised, stadiums are well-lit, and the broadcast quality is excellent. Ever since the commencement of the Indian Super League, Indian football has seen an improvement in professionalism by leaps and bounds. But all this masks a deeply flawed internal system. Clubs are outbidding one another for high-profile signings and offering inflated contracts that are not tied to performance. Instead of building a competitive and sustainable structure, Indian football has constructed an illusion, one where marketing triumphs over merit. The infrastructure never got any attention after the 2017 U-17 WC. Clubs hardly have any permanent training facilities, let alone any football-specific stadiums. 

Incompetent AIFF

One of the clearest signs of the AIFF’s systemic failure lies in its handling of coaching, infrastructure, and grassroots development. The coaching licensing program, meant to professionalize football education in India, has instead become a hotbed of favoritism and inconsistency. Deserving, experienced coaches are often denied licenses, while others with limited credentials but better political or personal connections sail through the process. This has flooded the system with underqualified coaches and disillusioned the very people committed to nurturing talent at the grassroots level.

Meanwhile, AIFF’s record on infrastructure is equally bleak. For all its authority and years in power, the federation has not initiated or completed any major football infrastructure project. Almost all functional infrastructure today exists due to the efforts of private clubs and academies, not the AIFF. To make matters worse, the federation has turned a blind eye to one of the most damaging issues in Indian football: age fraud. Despite being rampant at the grassroots level, AIFF has failed to enforce any strong age-verification mechanisms or deterrents. 

Crores for Mediocrity

Today, many top Indian players earn between ₹1 crore and ₹2.5 crore annually. But do their performances, especially in international competitions, justify these salaries? The answer is a resounding no. These players often shine in the ISL because their shortcomings are masked by technically superior foreign teammates. The pace of the game is dictated by the fast-moving foreign CAMs and CFs, and Indian players just act as fillers. But when they play for the national team, stripped of that support, their limitations become glaringly obvious. The fast-paced international games is the not just the cup of tea for the current cohort of Indian national players who feel secure by passing the ball to a foreigner in their domestic club.

Agents exploit national team appearances to push for higher salaries. A single cap becomes a tool in negotiation rooms, inflating market value without corresponding growth in ability. This has turned the national jersey from a symbol of pride into a bargaining chip. The result? We now struggle to confidently face teams like Bangladesh, and the gap between promise and performance keeps widening. 

The Agent-Executive Nexus

Behind closed doors, a more sinister problem festers. In many clubs, executives such as CEOs and technical directors have personal arrangements with player agents. These executives sign players not based on team requirements but on agency affiliations, often receiving under-the-table commissions. This form of internal corruption drains club resources and undermines the credibility of team-building decisions. Players are sometimes added to squads solely on an agent’s request, regardless of the coaching staff’s plans or the player’s merit. Owners of the clubs, who invest the money for the club operations, understand about the nexus very late when the damage had already happened. 

The Death of Hunger Among Youth

The next generation of footballers is entering the professional scene with their eyes set on financial security rather than playing time. Even 17-year-olds are being offered contracts worth ₹10 lakh or more per season. Many of them knowingly sign with star-studded ISL teams where they have no realistic chance of getting minutes on the pitch. These early comforts strip them of the drive to fight, to compete, and to grow. Instead of chasing improvement, they settle for a paycheck. The huge salary of the domestic circuit also diffused whatever dreams the players had to go abroad to play in the foreign leagues. 

Talent Hoarding and Rival Sabotage

Another alarming trend is the strategic hoarding of young talent by clubs. Promising players are signed not because they fit into the club’s long-term plan, but to prevent them from joining rival teams. Once signed, many of these players languish on the bench or in reserve squads, effectively stalling their development. This tactic is less about football and more about control, and it highlights the extent to which short-term rivalry is prioritized over player progress.

Media Silence: The Missing Watchdog

The football media in India has largely failed in its role as a watchdog. Investigative journalism is rare, and most coverage focuses on promotional content rather than critical analysis. Journalists often avoid hard questions to maintain access to clubs and players so that they can publish player interviews and confirmed transfers. This silence allows damaging practices to persist unchecked. Without media pressure, stakeholders face no consequences, and the cycle of dysfunction continues. Those who ask relevant hard questions often gets sidelined and some of them even don’t get media accreditation as well for the AIFF tournaments.

Fans Must Demand Better

Fans are passionate, but their loyalty often gets tied to individual players or flashy signings. True progress will require supporters to back tough decisions, such as dropping underperformers or rejecting unsustainable contracts. Clubs need fans who are patient with rebuilding and who understand that real success is built on structure, not spectacle.

Clubs: Heavy Investment With No Clear Vision

Clubs are the backbone of Indian football. They invest in infrastructure, academies, grassroots programs, and staff. Yet, how many players have they promoted to their first team from their academies? Barring a few clubs like Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC who promote local talents, most of the clubs make their youth teams by purchasing youngsters. 

Conclusion: A Crisis We Created

Indian football is not failing because of talent shortages or lack of fan interest. It is failing because of internal decay—because those in charge have prioritized short-term gains over long-term vision. Until we confront this reality and commit to radical change, no amount of rebranding or sponsorship will save us. We’re not just losing matches; we’re losing the future of Indian football itself.