PM Modi makes big announcement in North East; assures India to host FIFA WC

Football frenzy has enveloped the entire globe, but 20% of the world population that is India has no direct representation in the FIFA World Cup despite a huge fan following for the game. The 2018 FIFA World Cup final saw a viewership of 50 million, with the same data for other marquee football events being in the range of 30-50 million.

PM Modi hopes to change the same and host a “FIFA-like event ” in India in the near future where Indians will proudly rally and cheer for the tricolor. While addressing a crowd in Tripura on Sunday ( the day of the FIFA WC finals ) he said, “Today the teams playing in the Qatar final is between foreign countries but, I can say with assurance that we will be organizing an event like FIFA world cup in India and will cheer for the tricolor.”

This assurance of hosting a World Cup-like event caught the eyes of fans and came as music to their ears, with them welcoming this statement with cheer online. Earlier, during an address in Shillong, PM Modi further drew an analogy from the world of football and compared how in the last 8 years his government has shown the red card to problems like corruption, nepotism, and discrimination faced by North-East India for years.

“It is a coincidence that today when the final of the Football World Cup is taking place, I am in the midst of football lovers on the football ground itself. On the other side, a football competition is going on and subsequently, on this side, we are competing for development on the football field,” the PM was further quoted as saying.

India hosted the U-17 FIFA World Cup in 2017 and the U-17 Women’s FIFA World Cup in 2022, this assurance of PM Modi of hosting the FIFA World Cup remains to be seen if it indeed is a substantial promise or is another electioneering method by the PM.