Even its competition is a reflection of the long history of Indian football. The Durand Cup, started in the year 1888 has the distinction of being the second oldest tournament in the world after England's FA Cup.

Up until the early 1960s, India held its own against the football giants of Asia. The biggest highlight of country’s football history was qualifying for the 1950 FIFA world cup, along with the fourth place finish in the 1956 Olympics after losing to Bulgaria in the third place playoff matches. However, their qualification in the 1950 World Cup was marred when the AIFF declined to participate after FIFA prohibited playing barefoot. Nevertheless, India went on to win the Asian Games in 1951 and 1962.

Despite the golden era in the fifties and the sixties, Indian football has seen a downward turn since then. A lack of professionalism and player development has meant that the sport has taken the backseat in the world’s second most populous country.

However the newly formed National Football League has brought a new sense of hope and vision for the football faithful in the country. The first indication of improvement from the new league setup came when premier Indian club- East Bengal won the ASEAN Club Championship in 2003, the first of its kind by any Indian club at continental stage.

At the South Asia regional level, India had been victorious thrice (1993, 1997 and 1999). More recently, they were crowned champions of the Vietnamese LG Cup in 2002, hailed by many as the first major achievement of an Indian team after a gap of almost 30 years.

However there is still long way to go for the development of the game in the country, which despite its talent base has struggled to create an impact on the continental level. The famous sons of Indian football includes Neville D Souza, who scored a hatrick in the 1956 Olympics, Baichung Bhutia - first Indian to play in professional league in England, when he signed for Bury and P.K. Bannerjee, etc.