Introduction :
India is a cricket nation, or so the cliché goes. Yet in four distinct corners of the country, another sport rules. On the beaches of Goa, in the villages of Kerala, through the fevered streets of Kolkata, and across the hill towns of the Northeast, football is not simply a pastime. It is a culture, a passion, and often a statement of identity.
The question is not whether football is loved in these regions, but why. The answer is layered. History, colonial legacy, culture, community, and resistance all converged to make football the heartbeat of these states.
Kolkata: Where Football Became Freedom :
Kolkata is the birthplace of Indian football. The game arrived with the British in the late nineteenth century, and Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikari, later hailed as the “Father of Indian Football”, introduced it to Bengalis. For a society under colonial rule, the new sport offered both excitement and possibility.
The defining moment came in 1911. Mohun Bagan, barefoot, faced the booted soldiers of the East Yorkshire Regiment in the IFA Shield final. The victory was more than a sporting upset. Historian Boria Majumdar described it as “a nationalist victory, a game that became an anti-colonial statement played on the field” (Majumdar, In History’s Angel). That evening, football ceased to be just a game. It became a weapon of pride and defiance.
What followed was a surge of clubs that turned Kolkata into a football capital. East Bengal, formed in 1920, gave migrants from East Bengal a team to call their own. Mohammedan Sporting, already popular among the city’s Muslim population, challenged the dominance of British teams in the 1930s. The rivalries grew fierce, culminating in the Kolkata Derby, one of Asia’s most intense fixtures. Even today, the clash between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan can draw more than 80,000 fans to Salt Lake Stadium.
For Bengalis, football became both heritage and community. It was discussed in coffee houses, debated in trams, and worshipped in the para clubs. The city still treats football victories as collective triumphs. When Mohun Bagan won the I-League in 2015, fans celebrated through the night, as if reliving the spirit of 1911.
Goa: The Beautiful Game on the Beaches :
Goa’s story is different, yet just as powerful. Football here grew not from resistance but from immersion. Under Portuguese rule, the game was promoted in schools, parishes, and communities. According to football historian Nirmal Nath, “Goans grew up with football as part of their daily lives. It was played in schools, parishes, and village grounds long before independence.”
After its liberation in 1961, Goa embraced football as its most visible identity where local clubs flourished. Dempo Sports Club, Salgaocar FC, and Churchill Brothers became national champions, producing legends like Bruno Coutinho and Clifford Miranda. Even in the pre-television era, village tournaments would attract crowds in the thousands. Football became a ritual. Journalist John D’Silva famously noted, “Football here is not a sport. It is a Sunday ritual, like going to church.”
In 1977, Goa launched India’s first professional state league called the Goa Pro League, decades ahead of other regions. The Goan commitment to professional football laid the foundation for later success in national competitions. When FC Goa entered the Indian Super League, they immediately became one of the most supported franchises with average attendances of more than 18,000 during early ISL seasons reflected the passion of Goan fans.
The state’s footballing culture is not limited to professionals only. Every village, no matter how small, hosts annual football tournaments. During monsoons, muddy fields turn into battlegrounds, with entire communities turning out to cheer. In Goa, football is woven into the fabric of daily life.
Kerala: Football as the People’s Game :
In Kerala, football thrives because it belongs to the people. From the rice fields to the crowded towns, children play with whatever they can find, a rag ball or even a coconut. Football has always been accessible, unlike cricket, which required equipment and space.
The 1970s and 80s saw Kerala’s rise in domestic football, led by the Kerala Police team. They produced stars such as I.M. Vijayan, C.V. Pappachan, and V.P. Sathyan. Vijayan, known as the “Black Pearl of Indian Football”, reflected the state’s spirit when he said, “In Kerala, even if you do not have shoes, you will still play football. It belongs to everyone, rich or poor.”
The Santosh Trophy cemented Kerala’s love for the game. Kerala has won the trophy seven times, including back-to-back triumphs in 2022 and 2023. Matches regularly filled stadiums, with fans treating them as festivals.
The rise of Kerala Blasters in the ISL has brought that passion to a national audience. The team commands one of the largest fan bases in India, known as the “Manjappada”, or the Yellow Brigade. Their home games at Kochi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium regularly draw crowds of over 30,000, the highest in the league. The atmosphere is electric, with drums, chants, and flags turning matches into carnivals.
Football is also tied to Kerala’s diaspora. With large numbers of Keralites working in the Gulf, football became a connection to home. Many return for local tournaments, and European club football is followed passionately. The popularity of the World Cup is staggering. In 2018, CNN reported that villages in Kerala raised giant cutouts of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar along riversides and fields.
For Keralites, football is not a pastime. It is part of identity, woven into community and celebration.
Northeast India: Football in the Hills :
In the Northeast, football is more than culture. It is identity. Missionaries and Christian schools introduced the game in the early twentieth century, but the local communities embraced it quickly. Small villages built their own grounds, and every child grew up playing.
The region has consistently produced some of India’s finest players. Bhaichung Bhutia from Sikkim became the face of Indian football in the 1990s and 2000s. Renedy Singh from Manipur and Prem Dorji, the first Sikkimese to captain the national team, carried the region’s legacy forward. Sunil Chhetri, India’s all-time top scorer, has roots in the region as well, with a father from Sikkim and a mother from Nepal. Journalist Novy Kapadia once wrote, “The Northeast has given Indian football its spirit, its speed, and its heartbeat.”
Clubs such as Shillong Lajong, NEROCA, and Aizawl FC became symbols of pride. The greatest story came in 2017, when Aizawl FC, a team with limited resources, won the I-League. Their victory was hailed as a modern fairy tale. Tens of thousands greeted the team on their return to Mizoram. The state declared a holiday to celebrate.
Stadiums in Shillong, Aizawl, and Imphal regularly fill to capacity. Even youth tournaments attract passionate crowds. Football is not just a game in the Northeast. It is the main platform for community gathering, local pride, and cultural expression.
Conclusion
Football in India is not uniformly popular. It thrives in regions where history, culture, and community gave it meaning. Kolkata turned football into a symbol of resistance against colonial power and to express a unique refugee identity. Goa inherited it from the Portuguese and made it a Sunday ritual. Kerala embraced it as the people’s game, played by anyone, anywhere. The Northeast made it a way of life, tied to identity and pride.
Together, these four regions keep Indian football alive and growing. They remind us that sport is not only about goals and trophies. It is about freedom, belonging, and shared memory. That is why, in Goa, Kerala, Kolkata, and the Northeast, football will always be more than a game.
