FIFA World Cup: For India, qualification is still just a distant dream

As the FIFA World Cup 2026 reached its final week, Gourav Roy, an Indian software engineer living in San Francisco, drove more than 9,650 kilometres (6,000 miles) across the United States to attend both the semifinals and the final.For Roy, it was the next best thing to what he had grown up dreaming of: seeing India play in the World Cup.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4France legend Zinedine Zidane confirmed as new national team managerlist 2 of 4Football: Roberto Mancini named Italy head coach for second timelist 3 of 4Five wickets, no runs: West Indies cricketer makes bowling historylist 4 of 4UFC: Conor McGregor calls for ‘Last Dance’ vs Max Holloway in 2027end of listBut the possibility of that dream coming true is looking ever more distant as deep-rooted systemic issues and the failure to implement reforms have left the country of 1.45 billion ranked a lowly 138th in the world, failing to even qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup.“I’ve learned to love without expectation. That’s the burden of the Indian football fan,” said Roy.While countries with tiny populations like Curacao and Cape Verde qualified for the 2026 World Cup, India remains a prime example of wasted pote...