India has no football culture: Brazil coach Ancelotti
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Kolkata: Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has said that India lacks a football culture and needs stronger grassroots programmes to develop a larger pool of young players, according to a report by India Today.
Speaking ahead of Brazil’s friendly against India in Kolkata on October 3, Ancelotti said the match would give Brazil an opportunity to experience a different football environment. He also said he was looking forward to visiting India for the first time.
India is scheduled to play three international friendlies against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay from September 25, with the Brazil and Uruguay fixtures set to take place in Kolkata. Ancelotti noted that India has limited experience against top-level international opponents, making the fixture an opportunity for both teams to assess each other.
India’s recent qualification campaigns have produced setbacks. Their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign ended in June 2024 following a 2-1 defeat by Qatar. They subsequently failed to qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup after collecting five points from six matches.
The national team was ranked 138th in FIFA’s rankings published on July 20, 2026, compared with its highest-ever position of 94th.
Indian domestic football has also faced uncertainty since the AIFF’s commercial partnership with Reliance ended in 2025. The Indian Super League has yet to finalise its new-season fixtures and broadcasting arrangements.
Youth development remains another area of concern, with reports pointing to fewer competitive opportunities for young Indian players and shortages of youth leagues and qualified coaches in some states.