https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/7/22/goats-of-football-indian-village-holds-tournament-with-an-indigenous-twist

Credit: @Ashraf_FCG (X)

Been following Indian football here and there for a few years. While our men's team is not as solid performance-wise as they were during our last Asian cup (no thanks to the dumpster-fire coaches we got after that exit), I've noticed the women's team is scoring decent wins in the region

I recall the U19 team beating Pakistan by EIGHTEEN goals a few years back. A couple players moved to lower-division European leagues iirc and there was a U17 WC held here too (unfortunately in a group of death)

The senior team itself is ranked 69th worldwide and 12th in Asia atm. Assuming the 2031 Women's WC uses the 64 team format of the 2030 Men's WC, is there a chance our women's team can just about qualify for it?

Since 2009, she has been training tribal girls for free, often wearing a saree, helping them break social barriers through sport.

Her impact goes far beyond the football field. 18 girls she trained have gone on to represent West Bengal in state level football tournaments across India, opening doors to opportunities that once felt impossible.

Source

Only Jamshedpur FC & Inter Kashi are yet to pay the first instalment of the participation fee.

12 ISL clubs have completed the process, with three clubs' first instalments adjusted against pending prize money from AIFF.

What do you think of season recap videos?

THE GOD OF THE POTRERO VS. THE ARCHITECTS OF THE FUTURE

Two distinct footballing civilizations are about to collide at MetLife Stadium, and only one will survive the structural fallout.

In the Blue Jersey, we have Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina: a high-variance emotional casino built on the sacred laws of street grit. They don’t want to pass you to death, they want to drag you into a dark, muddy alley, steal your tactical notebook, and beat you 1 - 0 through sheer, weaponized willpower. They are riding a terrifying streak of 14 straight knockout match victories dating back to 2019.

In the Red Jersey, we have Luis de la Fuente’s Spain: a metronomic, geometric printing press that converts passing sequences into cold, hard efficiency. They are currently suffocating international football on a joint-world-record 37-match unbeaten streak, allowing a microscopic 0.31 expected goals conceded (xG) per match in this tournament. It is a literal black hole of defensive structure.

I’m watching the Gothia Cup Final which is going on right now. Minerva Academy versus some Brazilian club.

Why are some of their boys so insanely tall?

We’re in orange, btw. They are yellow.

It is time to give credit where credit is due. I have been critical of Reliance mainly because of the their monopoly, domination of ISL and the complete sidelining of the iLeague and death of smaller local football clubs. But yeah they do end up doing a few good things too and it would be unfair not to highlight that.

The Reliance Foundation Development League has been one of the biggest contributor to the future of Indian football by providing a platform for dozens of clubs to play competitive matches. The young talent coming through the ranks are the real deal and the building blocks for the future of Indian football.

The real game changer is their decision to send the top three teams to Japan, playing against top-level Japanese J-League youth squads (probably a better experience than the PL Next Generation Cup). The experience they are getting is far more significant than the so-called World Cup wins of youth academies we hear about a bit too much. Some of the kids this year like Kipgen, Shami, Dodum, Rakshit, Shawn are sure to be in reckoning for the National team in the future. Hopefully more such tours and exchange visits for the clubs.

Loved it that had more than 60K views along with me for the match!

A hard fought final won in last minute. Was a thrilling match.