From bad to worse: Indian football’s downward spiral in 2024

Indian football’s 2024 campaign was one of the darkest in recent memory.

It was a year defined by plummeting performances, administrative controversies, and missed opportunities for both the men’s and women’s national teams.

From an alarming decline in FIFA rankings to record-breaking failures on the field, the sport is in desperate need of a reset as the country enters 2025.

Men’s team: A year of unrelenting disappointment

For the men’s national team, 2024 was a disaster on every level. 

Under the old and new head coach, the team could neither find cohesion nor creativity.

The statistics alone highlight the depths to which the team has fallen: 11 matches, 6 losses, 5 draws, only 4 goals scored, and 15 conceded.

This is the first time since 2014 that India failed to win a single match in a calendar year.

India started the year with a frustrating 1-2 loss to Afghanistan in a FIFA World Cup qualifier. 

Things went from bad to worse at the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, where India faced Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria in the group stages.

They lost all three matches without scoring a goal.

Even more alarming, the team managed just five attempts on target across these matches, underscoring their lack of offensive firepower.

Following the Asian Cup debacle, India failed to qualify for the third round of FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers. 

This failure led to the sacking of Igor Štimac, but not without drama. 

Štimac claimed he offered to resign, but AIFF decided to terminate his contract instead, paying him a hefty compensation package.

The team’s failures were reflected in their FIFA ranking. Starting in 2024 at 102, India has now fallen to 126—a massive drop that highlights their struggles on the international stage.

Sunil Chhetri retires, A legacy ends

The year also marked the end of an era as Sunil Chhetri, the face of Indian football for two decades, announced his retirement. 

His absence has left a glaring void in the team, both in terms of leadership and goal-scoring ability.

The team’s inability to find a reliable successor in the striker’s role only amplifies the challenges ahead.

At the domestic level, Indian strikers continued to struggle. Sunil Chhetri, even in his final year, remains one of the few bright spots, with 8 goals in the ISL. 

Beyond him, the only other Indian forward in the Top 20 ISL goal scorers is Manvir Singh, with just 3 goals. 

In terms of assists and chances created, Indian players barely made an impact, revealing a dire lack of creativity across the board.

Women’s Team: A fall from grace

The women’s national team, once seen as India’s best hope to break into the continental or even global football stage, had a turbulent 2024. 

After the departure of Swedish coach Thomas Dennerby, the AIFF experimented with Indian coaches, but the results have been far from satisfactory.

The first to take over was the coach of Kickstart FC, but her tenure quickly became mired in controversy.

Allegations surfaced claiming she pressured players to join Kickstart FC, sparking outrage from several clubs and casting a shadow over her stint.

The instability in leadership, combined with these controversies, left the team directionless at a crucial time.

This lack of consistency and vision was evident in their performances. 

The team hit their lowest-ever FIFA ranking of 69 and crashed out of the SAFF Women’s Championship in the semifinals, losing to Nepal.

For a team that once inspired hope, 2024 highlighted the urgent need for stability and a long-term plan to reclaim their former promise.

More chaos

Indian domestic football was plagued by controversies throughout 2024. 

Early in the year, AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey faced corruption allegations, with accusations of misusing federation funds for personal expenses.

These allegations created a cloud of distrust and raised serious questions about the governance of the sport.

The Anwar Ali transfer saga was another low point. The 24-year-old defender’s unilateral termination of his loan deal with Mohun Bagan SG and subsequent signing with East Bengal sparked a bitter legal battle. 

AIFF’s Player Status Committee initially sided with Mohun Bagan, imposing a massive Rs. 12.9 crore fine on Anwar and banning East Bengal and Delhi FC from transfers.

However, the Delhi High Court eventually overturned the decision, allowing Anwar to play for East Bengal.

Broadcasting rights for the I-League also caused friction. Several clubs accused AIFF of awarding rights to a company without adequate resources to properly stream or broadcast matches.

This dispute nearly delayed the start of the league, only to be resolved at the last minute.

Refereeing controversies persisted in the Indian Super League, with players, coaches, and fans expressing frustration over inconsistent decisions.

AIFF Chief Refereeing Officer Trevor Kettle claimed that the standard of refereeing was “improving,” but such assertions were met with widespread skepticism.

International missteps

On the continental stage, Indian clubs faced mixed fortunes, but most stories ended in disappointment. 

Odisha FC became the first Indian team to qualify for the AFC Women’s Champions League, only to crash out after heavy defeats, including a shocking 0-17 loss to Urawa Red Diamonds.

In the men’s AFC competitions, Mohun Bagan SG withdrew from their match against Tractor FC due to the Iran-Israel conflict. 

As a result, the AFC nullified all their results in the AFC Champions League II.

East Bengal, meanwhile, showed promise in the AFC Challenge League, recovering from an early defeat to qualify for the knockout stages.

A year to learn from

2024 was a year of missed opportunities and hard lessons for Indian football. 

The men’s and women’s teams both suffered humiliating setbacks, while domestic controversies further exposed the cracks in the system. 

The sharp decline in FIFA rankings, coupled with the loss of Sunil Chhetri, paints a grim picture of the sport’s immediate future.

For Indian football to rise again, it needs structural reform, better governance, and a renewed focus on grassroots development. 

The road ahead is long, and while 2025 offers new opportunities, it also demands accountability and change. 

Indian football cannot afford another year like this.