Gurpreet Singh Sandhu on India missing FIFA World Cup: Why didn't we reach Asian Cup?
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu sparked debate by saying India's World Cup absence reflects a deeper issue, failure to consistently qualify for and progress in the AFC Asian Cup, the key stepping stone in Asian football.
Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has sparked a fresh debate on India’s football development through an Instagram story, in which he questioned the broader narrative surrounding India’s continued absence from the FIFA World Cup. Rather than focusing only on the final stage of qualification, he shifted attention toward a more fundamental concern, India’s inability to consistently qualify for, and progress in, the AFC Asian Cup, which functions as the main competitive platform in Asian football.
His message highlighted that World Cup qualification is not an isolated achievement, but rather the outcome of sustained success at the continental level over time. In his perspective, the more important question is not simply why India are missing from the World Cup, but why the country has not been regular participants in the AFC Asian Cup, and why it has struggled to consistently reach and advance in the knockout stages of the tournament.
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"Absolutely loving the conversation so many people are having about why we are not at the WC. People asking questions and accountability is necessary,” Sandhu wrote.
"As a player, I can tell you. We are not at the WC because we are not at the Asian Cup. To reach the WC, we have to be regulars in the Asian Cup and then be regulars at the knockout stages of the same. It's a step-by-step process. So the real question is, why did we not reach the Asian Cup?" Sandhu added.
HOW HAVE INDIA PERFORMED AT ASIAN CUP?
India’s record in the AFC Asian Cup shows only five qualifications in 1964, 1984, 2011, 2019 and 2023. The 1964 edition remains their best performance, when they finished runners-up in a four-team round-robin format. However, that early success was followed by long gaps, including two decades without qualification and then a 27-year absence before returning in 2011.
When India returned in 2011, they exited at the group stage after losses to Australia, Bahrain and South Korea. In 2019, India showed promise with a 4–1 win over Thailand, breaking a decades-long winless run at the tournament, but still failed to progress after defeats to UAE and Bahrain.
In the 2023 edition, India qualified after a strong qualifying campaign, including a perfect record in the third round held in Kolkata. However, at the main tournament, they again exited in the group stage after losses to Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria.
Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu has sparked a fresh debate on India’s football development through an Instagram story, in which he questioned the broader narrative surrounding India’s continued absence from the FIFA World Cup. Rather than focusing only on the final stage of qualification, he shifted attention toward a more fundamental concern, India’s inability to consistently qualify for, and progress in, the AFC Asian Cup, which functions as the main competitive platform in Asian football.
His message highlighted that World Cup qualification is not an isolated achievement, but rather the outcome of sustained success at the continental level over time. In his perspective, the more important question is not simply why India are missing from the World Cup, but why the country has not been regular participants in the AFC Asian Cup, and why it has struggled to consistently reach and advance in the knockout stages of the tournament.
Also Read | FIFA World Cup 2026: Messi, Mbappe and Haaland return to action, chasing more history
"Absolutely loving the conversation so many people are having about why we are not at the WC. People asking questions and accountability is necessary,” Sandhu wrote.
"As a player, I can tell you. We are not at the WC because we are not at the Asian Cup. To reach the WC, we have to be regulars in the Asian Cup and then be regulars at the knockout stages of the same. It's a step-by-step process. So the real question is, why did we not reach the Asian Cup?" Sandhu added.
HOW HAVE INDIA PERFORMED AT ASIAN CUP?
India’s record in the AFC Asian Cup shows only five qualifications in 1964, 1984, 2011, 2019 and 2023. The 1964 edition remains their best performance, when they finished runners-up in a four-team round-robin format. However, that early success was followed by long gaps, including two decades without qualification and then a 27-year absence before returning in 2011.
When India returned in 2011, they exited at the group stage after losses to Australia, Bahrain and South Korea. In 2019, India showed promise with a 4–1 win over Thailand, breaking a decades-long winless run at the tournament, but still failed to progress after defeats to UAE and Bahrain.
In the 2023 edition, India qualified after a strong qualifying campaign, including a perfect record in the third round held in Kolkata. However, at the main tournament, they again exited in the group stage after losses to Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria.
