Promise vs. Performance: game changer or more talk! Will AIFF’s new blueprint determine the destination!

The All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) press conference on June 13, 2025, came at a time when the future of Indian football hangs delicately between hopeful reform and persistent underperformance. With the men’s national team struggling on the pitch — whether in friendlies or major tournaments, against lower-ranked or higher-ranked sides, dissatisfaction with the head coach, and with the AIFF management has grown over the years.

Recent suffering to lower-ranked teams such as Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and Malaysia have only amplified fan frustration, and the questions surrounding Indian football are becoming louder and more urgent. In response, the AIFF laid out an ambitious roadmap aimed at addressing the systemic shortcomings that have plagued the sport for decades. But as with every grand vision, the ultimate question remains: can intention truly translate into impact? There is a heavily decorated roadmap, but so far, it seems as if there is no clear destination.

A Decade of Coaching: Contrasting Eras, Common Problems.

Journey of its last three national coaches–Stephen Constantine, Igor Stimac, Manolo Marquez, each bringing different philosophies but facing the same fundamental obstacles.

Stephen Constantine, (2015–2019, win rate 57%) represented India’s last period of relative success. His defensive, counter-attacking system, although unattractive, brought unity and delivered results, including qualification for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Key attackers such as Sunil Chhetri and Jeje Lalpekhlua were match-fit and consistently playing at club level, a factor that made Constantine’s direct style effective. Under his tenure, India achieved its highest-ever FIFA ranking of 96 (in 2017 and 2018). However, after five long years of ups and downs with Indian football, Constantine departed with India’s ranking having slipped to beyond 100.

Then came Igor Stimac (2019–2023, win rate 35%), who attempted to shift India into a more progressive, possession-oriented system. Yet the lack of technically equipped players, coupled with an unsettled and ever-changing squad, made this transition disastrous. India’s performances declined, and results in crucial matches faltered. Most critically, the country failed to find a reliable striker beyond Sunil Chhetri, as club football failed to produce game-ready forwards.

Current coach Manolo Márquez with 13% win rate, has inherited these unresolved problems. Despite AIFF’s vision of a unified National Football Philosophy and an emerging talent development structure, Márquez’s early tenure has seen disappointing results, including a costly loss to Hong Kong in AFC qualification, disappointing results from friendly matches. The continued over-reliance on Chhetri, now nearing retirement, and the absence of a consistent young striker pipeline, point to a national team in transition but not yet competitive, and seems lost of sparks.

National Football Philosophy: Late but first step forward.

For the first time, AIFF has committed to crafting a National Football Philosophy, a move long demanded by stakeholders. In partnership with FIFA’s TDS project under Arsene Wenger’s oversight, India has established its first dedicated academies in Odisha, with expansion plans for Telangana and other regions. The intention is clear: create a generation trained in a uniform style of play that matches India’s physical, geographical, and cultural realities.

While this signals a much-needed systemic shift, critics may rightly ask: why now? Many footballing nations cement their identity early in their footballing evolution. India, despite decades of domestic and international participation, is only now laying this foundation. Whether these academies will bear fruit, and how soon, remains to be seen.

Coaching Education: A Welcome Surge, but Quality Concerns Remain

AIFF also announced a 631% increase in coach education courses since 2022, with over 500 elite coaches undergoing advanced training. This rapid expansion in certified coaches, including the long-overdue introduction of position-specific coaching, shows recognition of a key truth: good coaches create good players.

But scale alone is not success. Moreover, the coach-to-player ratio remains suboptimal in many states, with grassroots programs needing capable hands to translate theory into talent.

Talent Identification & Grassroots: Seeds of Change
The launch of the AIFF FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS) Academy, alongside scouting of 5,400 kids nationwide and competition for India’s U17 leagues, marks serious groundwork in talent identification. The youth team’s success against older age groups suggests promise.

Equally, grassroots growth, particularly via the FIFA Football for Schools program, has exploded, with 2.61 crore students engaged across 1.53 lakh schools. Such mass participation is a historic high for India.

Yet the path from Baby Leagues to the senior national team remains unclear. Without a defined bridge between these levels, and without ISL or I-League clubs actively integrating this talent India risks developing players who shine at youth levels but never break into elite senior football.

The Women’s Game: started moving but not running

Women’s football, long neglected, received positive mentions from the past few years, with plans for youth leagues and development schemes. The AIFF’s focus on the IWL and a potential girls’ youth league is encouraging, but women’s football infrastructure still lags far behind the men’s system. Ensuring these plans move beyond announcements will be key.

Blueprint in Place, But when will the System Deliver?

In totality, the AIFF’s roadmap touches every crucial pillar, coaching, talent development, infrastructure, philosophy, and finance. Rarely has Indian football seen such a holistic plan, as AIFF presented it so well decorated. Yet the system’s history of poor execution, mismanagement, and short-termism cannot be ignored.

We need to focus on our players and the overall growth of Indian football, not on chasing the limelight. Many young and promising attacking players like Suhail Bhat, David Lalhansanga, Vikram Partap Singh, PV Vishnu must become regulars in the ISL, not remain benchwarmers.

The I-League must also be prioritised, just because it has lost its former prominence does not mean it cannot contribute to the development of national football. The focus should remain on national players, their game time, opportunities, and growth, rather than solely on the glamour of India’s top league. Moreover, the National Football Philosophy must guide how clubs nurture and develop talent. State federations must utilise their funds wisely and be held accountable for proper execution and progress.

From Blueprint to Breakthrough!

AIFF announced ₹2,333 crore for new stadiums and facilities in six states, along with ₹24 lakh yearly support to each state, the biggest financial boost Indian football has seen. But big money alone is not enough. Without proper planning and accountability, these projects risk becoming wasted or poorly used like in the past.

The AIFF’s June 2025 blueprint represents a long-overdue shift towards a structured, philosophy-driven football ecosystem in India. From grassroots to elite talent development, from coaching education to infrastructure investment, the framework appears promising on paper, out of the field, now time can speak whether it appears brightly on the field. For lack of a management system, the Indian football enthusiasts are paying over the years.

Now the time has come when the blueprint takes us to the right destination. Not only does it have management issues or coaching issues, the players have lost their urge for their nation’s badge. Overpay, they are getting huge payments compared to their bare minimum effort. They are running towards limelight, that’s why they are prioritizing tournaments, competitions but not giving 100% representing the nation. The challenge now is not about vision, it is about delivery. Results on the pitch, player pathways to professional football, and transparency in governance will be the true tests of this reform.

Call to action: The Road from Paper to Pitch.

For this ambitious roadmap to bear fruit, every stakeholder — AIFF, state associations, clubs, coaches, and fans, must hold the system accountable. Clubs need to prioritise Indian talent development over short-term foreign imports. State federations must effectively utilise financial assistance and invest in grassroots. The AIFF must ensure its philosophy filters into every coaching course and youth competition. Journalists, observers, fans must continue to question, critique, and push for progress. Indian football’s future will not be decided in boardrooms, it will be shaped on the training grounds, the youth academies, and the match pitches across the country. The time for talk is over, the real game begins now.