For the first time since the days of Diego Maradona in 1986, Indian football fans risk not watching the FIFA World Cup on television screens. With just over two months to go for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the USA, Mexico and Canada, the world’s most populous nation is missing from FIFA’s list of confirmed media territories.

While neighbours and Asian peers like Japan, Singapore and Indonesia have locked in their deals, India remains in a deadlock with FIFA. The reason? A massive valuation gap that makes the beautiful game look like a bad business deal on paper.

The $40 million question

Despite India being one of FIFA’s massive growth markets, drawing 745 million viewers during the Qatar edition, broadcasters are currently refusing to bite, even after FIFA significantly slashed its asking price.

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Initially, rights were reportedly pitched at $100 million. That figure dropped to $65 million, and currently, FIFA is seeking between $35-40 million (approx. Rs 325-370 crore), a discount of nearly 40% from the original figure in mind.

“At the price that FIFA is offering the media rights (for the subcontinent), it does not make business sense,” industry sources told The Times of India.

North American time zone is a broadcaster’s nightmare

The primary hurdle is not a lack of football fans but the clock. Unlike the Qatar World Cup, which sat in a sweet spot for Indian viewers, the North American time zone is a broadcaster’s nightmare.

Of the 104 matches scheduled for the expanded 2026 edition, only 13 will kick off at prime time for Indian television. The remaining 91 games will be in between midnight and 09:30 AM IST.

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“Only 10% of the matches kick off at prime time for TV audiences in India,” sources told TOI. “There is a lot of market uncertainty (due to the war in West Asia)… and money has already been committed to cricket, India’s most popular sport by some distance.”

A perfect storm of economic hurdles

The hesitation from giants like JioHotstar stems from a combination of factors:

With billions of rupees already locked into IPL and ICC cycles, the sports budget for Indian broadcasters is stretched thin. With the US Dollar at an all-time high against the Rupee, paying for rights in USD makes the effective cost much higher for Indian companies.

Even with the favourable timings of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, broadcasters reportedly struggled to move into the black, making a midnight tournament an even riskier bet.

What to expect?

As of FIFA’s updated list on April 3, India remains a blank space alongside China. If a deal isn’t reached soon, FIFA may have to look at alternative digital-first streaming solutions or a significantly lower last-minute bid from a domestic broadcaster.