Football’s Indian Dream: Can the Super League Wake a Sleeping Giant?

Football’s global reach has long eyed India as its final frontier—a nation of 1.4 billion where the sport trails only cricket in popularity. Picture Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, a concrete giant packed with 65,000 fans, erupting as Sunil Chhetri scores. India boasts 305 million football fans, second to cricket’s 612 million, yet the game has struggled to break through culturally. Enter the Indian Super League (ISL), launched a decade ago to spark a revolution. Backed by big money and bold ambition, it’s drawn stars like Alessandro Del Piero and ignited packed stands. But with cricket’s iron grip and a shaky football pyramid, can the ISL truly turn India into a footballing powerhouse?

A Nation of Fans, Not Players

India’s love for football isn’t new—state tournaments like Kolkata’s derby between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal draw millions of diehards. Yet, for over a century, no robust professional league emerged to harness this passion. The sport’s footprint grew with global events like the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, hosted across six Indian cities, exposing young fans to international flair. Still, cricket reigns supreme, woven into the nation’s identity through legends like Sachin Tendulkar. “Cricket’s not just a sport here—it’s who we are,” a Kolkata fan once said, capturing football’s uphill battle.

The ISL aimed to change that. Launched in 2014 by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance conglomerate, it mimicked cricket’s Indian Premier League (IPL)—a glitzy, franchise-based spectacle. The opening night dazzled with fireworks and dancers at Salt Lake Stadium, setting the tone for a league bankrolled by tycoons like Sanjiv Goenka and bolstered by Bollywood glitz from John Abraham. European giants Atletico Madrid and Manchester City snapped up stakes, while ageing stars—Del Piero, Nicolas Anelka, David Trezeguet—signed on for its debut two-month sprint. “It’s a start, not the finish,” Sourav Ganguly, ex-cricket captain and Kolkata team co-owner, remarked then, hinting at the long road ahead. Ten years on, the ISL has fans, but has it built a football culture?

The Super League’s Big Swing

The ISL’s blueprint was simple: splash cash, pack stadiums, and inspire kids to kick a ball instead of swing a bat. It’s worked—sort of. Average attendance hit 15,000 last season, with Kolkata’s big clashes topping 60,000. TV audiences have soared into the tens of millions, fueled by stars like Chhetri, India’s record goalscorer with 94 strikes, who came out of international retirement at 40 this year. The league’s 14 teams, up from eight, now play a full season, not a short burst, and youth academies are sprouting. Bengaluru FC, where Chhetri shines, boasts over 100 goals from him since 2016, a beacon of homegrown talent.

Yet, cracks show. The ISL sits awkwardly atop India’s old football pyramid—state leagues and the I-League—without promotion or relegation, alienating traditional clubs like Mohun Bagan. Early reliance on faded foreign stars drew crowds but didn’t nurture local heroes beyond Chhetri. “We need our own Messis, not their retirees,” a Mumbai fan grumbled, pointing to a youth system still in its infancy. Infrastructure lags too—Salt Lake’s concrete bowl is iconic but outdated, while many cities lack top-tier pitches. The ISL’s closed model, backed by Ambani’s billions, has pumped in cash—over £200 million since inception—but critics argue it’s a shiny bubble, not a foundation.

Cricket’s Shadow Looms Large

Cricket’s dominance is the ISL’s toughest foe. The IPL rakes in £5 billion yearly, dwarfing the ISL’s £50 million revenue. Cricket stars like Virat Kohli are national gods, their every move a cultural event, while footballers like Sandesh Jhingan, a defensive rock, remain niche heroes. India’s football team, ranked 126th globally, hasn’t sniffed a World Cup, and no major trophies grace its cabinet beyond regional wins. “Football’s big here, but cricket’s everything,” a Delhi shopkeeper said, summing up the divide.

The ISL has tried to bridge it with glamour—Priyanka Chopra’s ownership stakes and Ranbir Kapoor’s cheerleading—but it’s not enough. Grassroots lag, with just 25,000 registered youth players versus cricket’s millions. Coaching is patchy, facilities scarce outside urban hubs, and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has stumbled under leaders like Praful Patel, whose tenure saw little structural growth. Still, hope flickers—Chhetri’s return for the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers against Bangladesh, Maldives, and others signals intent, and ISL clubs like Kerala Blasters pack 40,000 fans regularly, hinting at untapped hunger.

A Giant Stirring?

The ISL’s decade-long experiment has shifted the needle. Football’s fanbase grew 20% since 2014, and private academies—some tied to clubs like FC Goa—are churning out prospects. Manolo Marquez, India’s coach, brings Spanish nous, eyeing a rare Asian Cup berth. Success stories like Chhetri—briefly with Sporting CP’s B-team and the MLS’s Kansas City Wizards—inspire, but India needs more. “We’re waking up, slowly,” Chhetri said after his comeback, a rallying cry for a nation craving a global stage.

Could India mirror football’s rise in the US or Saudi Arabia? Maybe—if the ISL links with the pyramid, builds pitches, and finds its own young stars. Ambani’s vision—backed by tycoons like Tata Steel’s billions—has lit a spark, but cricket’s shadow looms. The next decade will tell if this sleeping giant roars or slumbers on.