2025: A Challenging Year for Indian Football with Messi's Tour and Team Struggles
A Year of Turmoil in Indian Football
The year 2025 proved to be a challenging period for Indian football, marked by significant upheaval and setbacks. The situation resembled an alarm clock being smashed against the wall, signaling a wake-up call for the sport in the country.
Throughout the past year, Indian football faced unprecedented administrative turmoil, including the suspension of the Indian Super League (ISL), Lionel Messi's tumultuous "Goat India Tour" in Kolkata, and a historic drop in the FIFA rankings for the senior men's national team.
The men's team experienced a dramatic decline, changing coaches from Manolo Marquez to Khalid Jamil, yet failing to meet expectations. Their performance in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers was disappointing, culminating in a loss to Bangladesh (1-0) in November, which contributed to their current FIFA ranking of 142nd.
Despite these challenges, the Indian team showed resilience at the CAFA Nations Cup, where they secured victories against higher-ranked teams like Tajikistan and Oman, finishing in third place under coach Khalid Jamil.
In a surprising turn, Sunil Chhetri, who had previously announced his retirement from international football, decided to return due to the team's ongoing goal-scoring issues, highlighting the struggles faced by Indian football this year.
The ISL faced its own set of challenges, with ongoing disputes between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) leading to its suspension. The Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the two parties is set to expire at the end of the year, leaving the future of the league uncertain.
The deadline for submitting bids for the Request for Proposal (RFP) to monetize the ISL's commercial rights passed in November without any submissions, further complicating the situation.
In a recent development, Mumbai City FC announced that City Football Group Limited (CFG) had divested its shareholding in the club, returning full control to the founding owners amid concerns over the future of Indian domestic football.
Lionel Messi's visit to India for the first time since 2011 was marred by chaos during his GOAT India Tour 2025. The Kolkata leg of the tour was particularly tumultuous, with fans expressing frustration over poor event management and the presence of VIPs overshadowing the experience.
Despite the rocky start in Kolkata, Messi's subsequent events in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi were well-received, concluding his tour on a positive note with a visit to the Vantara animal sanctuary.
On a brighter note, the Indian women's football teams achieved significant milestones, with the Blue Tigresses qualifying directly for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 for the first time. Additionally, the India U17 and U20 teams also secured their spots in their respective Asian Cups, showcasing the potential of women's football in India.
As Indian football looks ahead to 2026, the men's team faces the critical task of rebuilding confidence and improving their FIFA rankings, which suffered due to the events of 2025.