FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to begin on June 11 in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, and is expected to be the greatest sporting spectacle the world has ever seen. While the world prepares for the 23rd edition of the tournament, Indian football fans are in an unprecedented position of missing out on the event.
FIFA is yet to secure a broadcasting deal for the Indian subcontinent. The tournament is set to begin in less than 50 days, and there is no official broadcast to telecast FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in India, a country with over 1.4 billion people.
The global football governing body issues combined tenders for the broadcasting rights in the Indian subcontinent for the FIFA World Cups 2026 and 2030 in July 2025, but Indian sports networks have shown very little interest in bidding so far. FIFA has significantly reduced its asking price from USD 100 million to 35 million, but that hasn't moved Indian sporting networks JioStar, Sony Sports, and Zee Media.
The Indian football team is not playing in the 48-team event in North America, but fans have always shown excitement for World Cup events in the past. The lack of broadcast for the upcoming event exposes the structure of Indian football and could bring embarrassment to the Indian sports ecosystem.
Why is FIFA struggling to find Indian broadcasters for FIFA World Cup 2026?
The biggest reason could be the time zone difference, as the FIFA World Cup 2026 is scheduled around North American time zones. Matches will take place after midnight at 12:30 am IST and 3:30 am IST, so the broadcaster might fear a lack of response.
Indian broadcasters' major cricket deals could be another reason for their lack of interest in the FIFA World Cup. Both JioStar and Sony have reportedly spent huge amounts on cricket in India, securing deals for the IPL and ICC events. They are unwilling to spend the amount FIFA is asking, having already committed their budget to cricket.
Indian football's decline in the last two years could be another reason. The Indian men's football team was ranked around 100th in the FIFA rankings during the 2022 World Cup and now finds itself struggling at 141st ahead of the 2026 edition. The Blue Tigers failed to win a single international game in 2024 and just two in 2025, leading to a decline in fans' interest in the sport. The domestic structure also took a hit, with the Indian Super League 2025-26 starting five months later than scheduled due to the AIFF's failure to secure a commercial partner.
Broadcasters might fear a lack of fan engagement during the 2026 World Cup due to the state of Indian football, and are unlikely to spend millions without a guarantee of massive viewership.
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