FIFA chief Infantino praises Modi's Gangtok football session with Sikkim children
Synopsis
FIFA chief Infantino's Instagram post endorsing PM Modi's impromptu football match in Gangtok wasn't mere courtesy—it's part of a calculated strategy to elevate football in cricket-dominated South Asia. With the sport already commanding grassroots passion across Sikkim, Mizoram, and Manipur, Modi's visible participation offers FIFA a high-profile political anchor to deepen penetration in the Northeast.
Key Takeaways
FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised PM Modi's football session with children in Gangtok, Sikkim on Wednesday.
Modi played football with local youth on Tuesday, calling it "a lovely morning" and "an energising session." Infantino shared the image on Instagram, emphasizing that "Football truly unites the world." Football holds strong grassroots appeal across northeastern states including Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur, and Meghalaya , often rivalling cricket.
Modi and Infantino have met twice previously: at the G-20 summit in Argentina in December 2018 (where Infantino gifted Modi a personalised jersey) and in Kuwait in December 2024 .
FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Wednesday commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi's passion for sports, sharing a photograph of the PM playing football with children in Gangtok, Sikkim. The endorsement underscores the global football body's interest in expanding the sport's reach across South Asia, particularly in India's northeastern states where football rivals cricket in cultural prominence.
Modi's football moment in Sikkim
On Tuesday, PM Modi participated in a casual football match with local youth in Gangtok, describing it as "a lovely morning" and "an energising session." Posting photographs on X (formerly Twitter), the PM wrote, "Nothing like playing some football with my young friends in Sikkim on a lovely Gangtok morning!" and in a follow-up post, "Clearly, an energising football session with these youngsters!"
FIFA chief's endorsement
Infantino, known for his efforts to deepen football's footprint across South Asia, amplified the moment by sharing the image on Instagram with the caption, "Great to see @narendramodi play our beautiful sport. Football truly unites the world." The gesture reflects the FIFA president's broader strategy to leverage high-profile political figures to elevate the sport's profile in cricket-dominated markets.
Football's stronghold in the Northeast
Football enjoys substantial grassroots support across India's northeastern region, standing as a primary sporting interest in states such as Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur, and Meghalaya—often competing with or surpassing cricket in fan engagement and participation. Modi's visible endorsement, coupled with Infantino's amplification, signals FIFA's recognition of this demographic advantage.
A recurring diplomatic connection
Modi and Infantino have crossed paths on multiple international occasions. Their most notable meetings occurred in December 2018 at the G-20 summit in Argentina, where Infantino gifted the PM a personalised football jersey bearing his name, and again in December 2024 in Kuwait. At the Argentina summit, Modi acknowledged the gesture, stating, "Impossible to come to Argentina and not think about football. Argentinian players are tremendously popular in India. Today, received this jersey from @FIFAcom President Gianni Infantino. I thank him for the kind gesture."
What this signals
The exchange illustrates a deliberate alignment between India's political leadership and global sports governance on football's development trajectory. For FIFA, Modi's visibility in grassroots football participation offers a credibility anchor in a market where the sport competes for attention. For India, the moment reinforces the government's sports-for-all messaging ahead of potential future sporting events.
Point of View
Not spontaneous. FIFA sees India's northeast as football's last untapped frontier in South Asia—a region where the sport already commands genuine grassroots passion that cricket has not fully colonised. Modi's participation, amplified by the FIFA president, is a soft-power play to legitimise football investment in states like Sikkim and Mizoram. The real test will be whether this translates into sustained institutional support and grassroots infrastructure, or remains a photo-op.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did FIFA President Infantino praise PM Modi's football session?
Infantino shared the image to highlight Modi's passion for sports and underscore FIFA's broader strategy to expand football's footprint across South Asia. The endorsement leverages Modi's political profile to elevate the sport's visibility in a cricket-dominated market.
Where did PM Modi play football in Sikkim?
PM Modi played football with local children in Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, on Tuesday. He described it as "a lovely morning" and "an energising football session."
How popular is football in India's northeast?
Football enjoys substantial grassroots support across northeastern states including Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur, and Meghalaya, where it frequently rivals or surpasses cricket in fan engagement and participation.
When have Modi and Infantino met before?
The two have met on multiple occasions. Their most notable meetings occurred in December 2018 at the G-20 summit in Argentina, where Infantino gifted Modi a personalised football jersey, and again in December 2024 in Kuwait.
What did Infantino gift Modi at the Argentina G-20 summit?
At the December 2018 G-20 summit in Argentina, FIFA President Infantino gifted PM Modi a personalised football jersey with Modi's name on the back.
