Brazil at the Mecca of Indian Football: A Dream Fixture, But Is Indian Football Paying the Price?

As the weekend of the year commences, the Indian men’s football team take on five-time World Champions Brazil at the Mecca of Indian football, the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata - a city that’s hosted Pele, albeit not in the Selecao yellow.Brazil exited the 2026 World Cup with a Round of 16 loss and are restarting another cycle. They’ve always had the luxury of the spotlight. India’s footballing journey is entering yet another cycle too, but that’s for the back burner — a term often heard in the various corridors of power. Nonetheless, Khalid Jamil’s players aren’t exactly short on confidence. Whatever happens, the games against Brazil and Uruguay will probably rank very high on the list of highlights for Khalid and his players, and enjoy it they must!The positivity in the camp stems from a relatively good showing against Panama in a 1-1 draw in Bangalore, at the Kanteerava Stadium, a venue that’s not alien to special nights. However, the Kanteerava Stadium, which can become a cauldron, thanks largely to the West Block Blues, wasn’t even half full, because dirty seats and expensive tickets don’t go hand in hand. The Kanteerava is a 26,000-seater stadium which saw 9,000 people attend the game against World No. 44 Panama. The West Block Blues normally shell out anywhere between INR 400-700 for Indian Super League games, whereas the cheapest tickets for the Panama game were INR 849 and the seats in the West Block Blues’ stand were priced at INR 2,999.Next on the playlist is Kolkata, a city known for its love for Brazil’s football team. Ahead of the festivities of Durga Puja, even the Mecca of Indian football took some time to warm up. The reason is probably squarely down to the ticket prices. And the All India Football Federation weren’t particularly keen on being consumer-friendly. Dismal ticket sales, though, forced their hand, and out came the 1+1 ticket schemes. In Kolkata, most ISL games would not cost you above a maximum of INR 500, and the tickets for the two friendlies start at INR 999. The cheapest tickets in Kolkata are generally INR 100 for domestic matches.ALSO READ | India vs Brazil: Khalid Jamil’s Blue Tigers face biggest test yet in KolkataThe red carpet versus the reality of Indian footballHere’s the thing: the AIFF, the body responsible for football and its development in the country, currently led by Kalyan Chaubey, is tasked with waking up the "Sleeping Giant of world football" - a term coined by former FIFA President Sepp Blatter in 2007. Almost two decades later, Carlo Ancelotti says India doesn’t have a football culture. Is he completely wrong to say so?Which serves as a better alarm clock? Friendlies (that cost a bomb) versus Panama, Brazil and Uruguay, or simply growing the game?It isn’t that the friendlies won’t attract attention for those few days, but is that cutting your coat according to your cloth? You could probably live near the Governor's House in Mumbai or somewhere around Lord’s with the amount of money that is reportedly being spent on these games. A report in Mint suggests a total budget of INR 90 crore for three matches. One hopes the accounts teams have taken a leaf out of Florentino Perez’s playbook because otherwise, we could be in for a steep trek on the mountain of debt.Imagine being the first set of AIFF officials to bring Brazil to India for a football match that becomes a part of the record books. The President and his entourage get their photos, their moments under the floodlights, and coincidentally, all of this happens before the top post is up for election in December. It was earlier slated for September.After all, coincidence and every other word you can think of are all part of the English language and dictionary. We don’t do other languages, and the words might change in a few sentences.ALSO READ | Once bitten, twice shy: How Kolkata is gearing up for India vs Brazil after Lionel Messi fiascoMind you, India’s draw against Panama has attracted international attention, in terms of media, and the games against Brazil and Uruguay surely will as well. But what is the lasting impact on Indian football? Or is the plan just to have a few moments of merriment?Three friendlies cannot fix Indian footballIf the AIFF had taken the development of football seriously, the money being spent on these friendlies could have and should have been parked solely for the Indian football ecosystem, where clubs struggling for finance is not uncommon, and not long ago, players were pleading to save domestic top-flight football, which was in grave danger. Thankfully, there is light at the end of the tunnel for the top flight.Indian football has seen some great days. In the first two decades just after Independence, the Indian football team were among the best in Asia, but since then, the team has tapered off, and how! There was a time when India were considered to be the Brazil of Asia.Three friendlies will not change the reality, and the hurdles that the ecosystem faces will not magically disappear. What may disappear is a few fans, a few kids who decide not to take up the sport because their parents don’t see a proper career path. When clubs shut down with alarming regularity and the football calendar faces commercial issues every now and then, every parent would be wary of letting their kid take up football as a first-choice career in India.The AIFF chose the red carpet over addressing the reality of the sport within our country. Every few years, a new dawn arrives. Remember the cycle?Gimme hope, Jo'anna, Hope before the morning come!(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of TimesofIndia.com)Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.