New Delhi, June 11 -- The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off tonight across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Zee Entertainment has secured the broadcast and streaming rights for India.

Matches will air on their new sports channel, Unite8 and stream on Zee5. Indian football fans are tuned in. Over the next one month or so, we'll fight over Messi, Ronaldo and Mbappe. But, the bigger question lingers: how many of us watch the ISL?

Football is India's second-most-watched sport, behind only cricket. A September 2025 KPMG report estimated 300 million football viewers in the country. Cricket still dominates with 610 million viewers.

Kabaddi is third with 280 million. Football's audience has grown 25% between 2018 and 2025, according to KPMG. ...