NEW DELHI: “What this tells me is that we do love the sport, but perhaps not enough to support own players,” wrote India international and FC Goa’s Sandesh Jhingan on Instagram. That perfectly encapsulates the state of football, and our society to a huge degree, in the past week.As Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul’s three day tour of India wrapped up, having covered Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, with tens of thousands filling up stadiums in each city. Rs 100s of crores were spent by the organisers in bringing the trio to the country. Another tens of crores were spent by the fans to get their glimpse. More, or equivalent, were spent by the sponsors, corporates and broadcasters.
Droves of politicians, corporate honchos and celebrities posed alongside Messi for their moment of social media fame. Cringeworthy videos did the rounds as office bearers, spouse of a state CM and anyone with any clout, desperately looked to get within inches of the magician for their Instagram cred.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!One doesn’t need to go far to look for irony. Bhaichung Bhutia, former India captain and a legend of Indian football, struggled to get inside the stadium in New Delhi, despite being an official guest. As one security official after another failed to recognise him, it only took a late phone call for the man who made 84 India appearances to be brought to the stage.
Argentine footballer Lionel Messi (C), Rodrigo De Paul (R) and Uruguayan footballer Luis Suarez interact with each other at Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium during the Lionel Messi G.O.A.T Tour on December 15, 2025 in Delhi, India. (Photo by Ayush Kumar/Getty Images)
The irony doesn’t end there. With organisers, sponsors, fans, broadcasters all spending big bucks on this tour, a month back, a Request For Proposal (RFP) floated by the All India Football Federation for the Indian Super League — which sought an annual payment of Rs 37.5 crore — didn’t find any takers. Neither did anyone step up for the I-League, the second tier, with an annual payment requirement of Rs 4 crore.Equally ironically, two of the sponsors of the G.O.A.T. Tour – JSW and RPSG Group – are losing amid this logjam in Indian football. Their top bosses had a meet-and-greet with the Argentine, all while their ISL clubs – Bengaluru FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant – are facing uncertainty over their futures.As things stand, there is no timeline on the start of the ISL or the I-League seasons. In the latest meeting with the Sports Ministry and the AIFF, ISL clubs suggested a “financial reset” to get the ball – quite literally – rolling again. The clubs said player salaries, officially capped at Rs 16.5 crore, but breached unofficially, need to be revised.
Argentine footballer Lionel Messi plays football with fans during the final leg of his ‘GOAT India Tour 2025’, at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)
Fans spent upwards of Rs 4000 to get a chance of watching Messi walk, wave, say a few words in Spanish. In contrast, the tickets for an ISL game hover between Rs 100-300 and yet the attendances are dropping. Much like the ranking of the Indian national team but that’s a different, extremely depressing, topic.ISL clubs, which spend approximately Rs 60 crore a year, and suffer losses to the tune of Rs 25 crore, are already bleeding with no active football and no clarity of when it will even resume. “Team owners are hanging on to hope while bleeding finances dry. How is this even a reward for backing a sport that not many would touch?,” wrote Bengaluru FC Director of Football Darren Caldeira.The same amount of fan attendance or sponsorship spends could have funded multiple clubs. Alas it went on a ‘sporting event’, where the football was barely kicked. Where Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul were treated as sidekicks. Where Sunil Chhetri, India’s top scorer ever, got fewer headlines than Sachin Tendulkar. Therein, perhaps, lies the great tragedy. But, again, that is a larger, deeper conversation.For now, Messi is gone. Everyone’s gotten their photos and videos to circulate for months at end. The euphoria will subside. Everyone will move on, except Indian football. That, for a myriad of reasons, has hit a roadblock. “I hope this occasion sparks a deeper conversation not just about loving football, but about sustaining it at home,” added Jhinghan in his Instagram note.
Poll
Do you believe the recent Messi tour will positively impact Indian football?
To say there is no interest in football, or purchasing power for Indian fans, is inaccurate. And this Messi tour has made it abundantly clear. Unfortunately, there are no takers of Indian football. Maybe, Indian football is not sexy enough for the social media cred of our politicians, celebrities and sponsors.
