Football in 2024: Big year for Stimac and India, Premier League’s growing influence

India men’s team head coach Igor Stimac has warned that it would take another four years for his team, ranked 18th in Asia, to breach the top 10.

Little hope, lot of fight: Indian football fans may have to temper their expectations as the men’s national team participates in the Asian Cup in Qatar in January. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Every new year brings a fresh wave of optimism, regardless of the field of life. The world of football is no exception, and in 2024, we hope to see a rare, multi-club title race in the Premier League that could challenge Manchester City’s dominance. In Germany, Bayer Leverkusen could pull off the impossible by ending Bayern Munich’s stronghold over the Bundesliga title, which has lasted for the last 11 years. Similarly, in Spain, we could witness a fairytale run by Girona, which could culminate in it winning La Liga and upsetting the elite trio.

Meanwhile, Indian football fans may have to temper their expectations as the men’s national team participates in the Asian Cup in Qatar in January. The team is likely to endure a group-stage exit, and coach Igor Stimac has already conceded that the tournament will be used to gauge India’s performance for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers this year. If India progresses to the third round, it will face Asia’s top-ranked teams.

With Asia’s quota doubled to 8.5 slots for the expanded World Cup, the qualifiers present India with an outside chance to make the showpiece event. Stimac, however, has warned that it would take another four years for India, ranked 18th in Asia, to breach the top 10.

In 2023, Stimac and his team showed a lot of promise, especially during their 2-2 draw against higher-ranked Iraq in the King’s Cup. However, Stimac has been facing several challenges off the pitch while trying to steer the team. Although he received approval from the Sports Ministry to participate in the Asian Games despite not qualifying on merit, he struggled to find players to join the team until just three days before they were scheduled to leave for Hangzhou. During the tournament, the team barely made it through to the knockout stages and eventually got knocked out by an all U-24 Saudi Arabian team. Additionally, Stimac’s request for a longer training window before the Asian Cup was denied by the Indian Super League clubs. His proposed solution of including Players of Indian Origin (PIO) did not gain any traction either.

The upcoming Asian Cup is the perfect opportunity to showcase his four-year efforts. Despite facing challenging teams in the group stage, a victory over Syria could increase India’s chances of securing a spot in the knockout stage, at least as a third-place finisher.

In choppy waters: Indian men’s team head coach Igor Stimac has been facing several challenges off the pitch while trying to steer his side. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

In the realm of international football, 2024 promises significant events such as the African Cup of Nations, Copa America, and the European Championships. For Mohamed Salah, the AFCON stands as a chance to dispel the memories of the 2017 and 2021 editions and clinch his maiden international honour. France’s incredible depth of talent, England’s attacking riches, and Spain’s technical brilliance make them favourites for the EURO title.

Until recently, Lionel Messi’s crowning moment with Argentina appeared elusive, but now he starts the year as the reigning Copa America, World Cup, and Ballon d’Or winner. Messi’s move to Major League Soccer gave a big fillip to American soccer, and now the States’ new superstar will look to defend the Copa America on US soil.

Messi rejected a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia, which became the new home for Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., Karim Benzema, Jordan Henderson, Ruben Neves, and Firmino. The influx began with Ronaldo’s move in January last year, when he switched allegiance to Al Nassr for a reported salary of $213 million per year. In the following summer transfer window, Saudi clubs, which are bankrolled by the Public Investment Fund, splashed over a staggering $1 billion in transfer fees alone. They also managed to turn the players’ heads with vast amounts of salaries for a nation, where taxes are exempt for anyone who spends over two years.

But the Premier League remains the king. Halfway through the English top division, a potential multi-team title race emerges, reminiscent of 2008–09. At the time of going to press, the top five — Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Tottenham — are closely packed, just five points apart.

The Premier League is getting richer and bigger every year, which was further reaffirmed by another Petro-dollar-fueled Manchester City’s clean sweep in trophies across 2023 as the gulf further widens between the league and the rest of Europe. Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Juventus enjoyed a boost heading into the new year when their brainchild, the European Super League, received a lifeline after an E.U. Court of Justice’s ruling threw out UEFA and FIFA’s plans to blow the proposed league out of the water. But it remains to be seen how the league takes off if the English clubs with their array of top talent at their disposal stay away.

The summer of football peaked in Australia with the women’s World Cup, shattering attendance and TV records. More importantly, new challengers emerged, with the dominant USA bowing out early before Spain emerged as the first-time champion. But its crowning moment was overshadowed by Luis Rubiales’ unprompted kiss to Jemi Hermoso, which triggered an international outcry as the sport continued to battle with sexism. The following weeks saw Rubiales being dismissed as the Spanish FA president, leading to his ouster from the game for three years by FIFA. Hermoso admitted that the incident took a huge toll on her, and the forward entered the new year by giving evidence to a judge investigating the incident at Spain’s highest criminal court.

The four-time world champion USWNT has already made steps towards getting back to the top by appointing Emma Hayes as its new head coach. Hayes is coming to the end of a decade-long trophy-laden stint with Chelsea, where she would want to add the missing Champions League title before crossing the Atlantic.