Sandesh Jhingan Hopes Lionel Messi’s GOAT Tour Sparks Discussions Around India's Domestic Structure

Indian defender Sandesh Jhingan has said that he hopes to see Indian football recover from its current malaise after the former expressed his opinion following Lionel Messi’s recent G.O.A.T Tour of India.

Jhingan took to social media to express his thoughts on the current state of affairs plaguing Indian football.

The 32-year-old's statement comes after Indian football's uncertain future on the domestic front. There remains little clarity whether the Indian Super League will be held or not.

Jhingan stated that he was happy to see Indian fans give Messi the reception, saying "it genuinely made me happy to see that our country does love football, that it can fill stadiums to full capacity and that people are willing to spend lakhs to witness the sport."

However, Jhingan questioned the level of expenditure on the Lionel Messi’s G.O.A.T Tour of India and whether that could be used to revitalize Indian domestic football.

“What troubles me, however, and leaves me deeply reflective, is that at a time when our own football ecosystem is in jeopardy, arguably facing one of its most difficult phases, we stand on the brink of having no active domestic football ahead of us. It feels as though we are close to shutting everything down because there is no willingness to invest in football within India, yet crores were spent on this tour,” he said.

“What this tells me is that we do love the sport, but perhaps not enough to support our own players,” he added.

Jhingan also said, “I am aware of the criticism that comes our way, and I accept responsibility for performances. But football does not exist in isolation. Anyone who truly understands the game knows how profoundly structure, stability, and belief influence what ultimately happens on the pitch.”