India, June 24 -- Every time the FIFA World Cup comes around, Indian football fans find themselves asking the same question: why not India? Perhaps it is a question that should not be reserved for once every four years. Perhaps it is a question Indian football needs to ask itself every day.

As the 2026 World Cup unfolds across North America, the gap between India's footballing ambitions and reality feels starker than ever. Across Asia, nations once considered peers have turned dreams into milestones.

Japan and South Korea have become World Cup regulars, qualifying for eight and eleven consecutive editions respectively, while first-time qualifiers Jordan and Uzbekistan have broken new ground and earned their place on football's biggest s...