The pre-match between India and Brazil was enriched by a remote confrontation between two coaches. On one side Carlo Ancelotti, coach of the Seleção, and on the other Khalid Jamil, head of the Indian national team. At the center of the discussion is India's position in the FIFA rankings and, in general, the country's relationship with football.
Brazil will head into the match on October 3 as heavy favorites. The match will be played at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, a venue that can hold around 85,000 spectators. The Seleção currently sit fifth in the FIFA rankings, while India have slipped to 138th.
A huge difference, especially considering the size of the Asian country, which with more than 1.4 billion inhabitants is the most populous in the world. It is precisely this distance between demographic potential and football results that has prompted Ancelotti to express his opinion.
Ancelotti: "India has no football culture"
A few days before the match, Italian Ancelotti was asked if he was surprised by India's position in the international rankings, despite the country's large population. The Brazil coach's answer was quite straightforward: "I think it's a cultural issue. India doesn't have a football culture, but it excels in other sports. We need to work on that aspect to build a new generation of players."
Ancelotti then expanded the discussion to the possibility of facing different footballing realities, highlighting how useful it could be for Brazil to face national teams with different characteristics: "We have to face other countries and cultures. We are used to playing friendlies with different styles of play. India will be an interesting challenge. It is true that India does not have much experience (in facing world-class opponents), but it is important for us to understand how they play."
Jamil's response: "I don't care"
The words did not go unanswered. India is going through a difficult period. The national team failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup and also missed out on the opportunity to participate in the 2027 Asian Cup. The FIFA ranking reflects the difficulties experienced during the recent period. Khalid Jamil was asked to comment on the statements of his Brazilian colleague. The coach of the Indian national team chose not to fuel the debate: "I don't care. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion."
Jamil preferred to immediately shift attention from the judgment of the technician Ancelotti to the work that awaits his team. For the Indian coach, the upcoming matches should serve above all to measure the level reached by the national team and to identify aspects where intervention is needed: "My personal objective is simple: to prepare the team well and help Indian football progress. These matches will show us where we are and what we need to improve."
India, three challenges to measure up to in international football
The schedule will provide coach Jamil with a significant opportunity to pit his team against international-level opponents. India will take to the field on September 25 in Bengaluru against Panama, before facing Brazil on October 3 in Kolkata.
Three days later, at the same Salt Lake Stadium, Uruguay will arrive. A particularly difficult trio of matches, which will allow the Indian national team to face three different footballing realities. For Jamil, more than the statements of other coaches, it will be the field above all that will provide the answers to the real level of his team.
