Lionel Messi concluded his whirlwind tour of India on Tuesday, having visited five cities in just four days. The football superstar even expressed his desire to return to the country in the future.
However, despite the excitement around Messi’s visit, the future of Indian football remains uncertain, with no official updates regarding the start of the Indian Super League (ISL).
Amid the fanfare, Indian national team defender Sandesh Jhingan voiced concerns over the financial implications of hosting Messi. He questioned the allocation of resources, stressing that while Messi’s presence was a spectacle, attention should also be given to the long-term development of Indian football.
What Sandesh Jhingan Said About Messi's India Tour
Sandesh Jhingan uploaded a post with a lengthy caption on Instargram, highlight how there is no clarity on Indian fooball future, while Messi's tour of India garnered significant attention.
"Now that the euphoria of the past few days of the entire country suddenly embracing football has settled somewhat, I felt compelled to share my thoughts. First and foremost, it genuinely made me happy to see that our country does love football, that it can fill stadiums to full capacity and that people are willing to spend lakhs to witness the sport."
"What troubles me, however, and leaves me deeply reflective, is that at a time when our own football ecosystem is in jeopardy, arguably facing one of its most difficult phases, we stand on the brink of having no active domestic football ahead of us. It feels as though we are close to shutting everything down because there is no willingness to invest in football within India, yet crores were spent on this tour." He continued.
The Indian Super League (ISL) controversy centres on uncertainty over the league’s future due to AIFF–FSDL disagreements, delays in renewing the Master Rights Agreement, and alignment with AFC calendar reforms.
Financial strain on clubs and lack of clarity on promotion and relegation have led to the ISL being put on hold.