India's passion for football: Market research insights

The Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor, Qatar erupted in cheers as French legend, Marcel Desailly, presented the World Cup trophy ahead of the 2022 FIFA opening ceremony. After a 30-second countdown, the ceremony commenced with pomp and splendor on November 20, 2022. This world cup, a confluence of exuberance, drama, and dreams, is one of a kind because it is the first of its kind.In addition to being the first Middle Eastern country to host a World Cup, Qatar is now the first country ever to host a Winter Cup. After a decade of preparation, the whole world is watching to see how it plays out..

Inspired by all the enthusiasm for FIFA globally, we set out to capture insights into how Indians engage with football. Over 1,500 people from various Indian states were surveyed, and their opinions, attitudes, and inclinations were recorded.

The "who" and "where" of football fanaticism

Football appeal knows no boundaries. Nationally, 74.87 % of respondents expressed excitement about the 2022 FIFA World Cup, attesting to the way football bridges cultures and unites people across borders. The majority of India's fans are from Kerala and West Bengal, followed by Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

Football fanaticism strongly correlates with age; most fans we identified fall within the 18–25 age range. The population aged 26—35 comes in second, while 15.82% of xennials surveyed claim they, too, are crazy about football.

Despite the spike in media attention and popularity of the game, only one-third of the respondents who expressed interest in football were women. In India, football continues to entice more men.

Initially, there were many voices of opposition when Qatar was chosen as the host of FIFA World Cup 2022. However, people are changing their tunes as the matches roll out. According to our poll, 41.79% of the people are very pleased with the host nation. About 25.79% of the people do not bother.

The predictions and possibilities that fuel fandom

 Fans are the lifeblood of any team. Their devotion and support can fuel a team's performance. Brazil's team has the largest support base, with 43.63% of the vote, followed by Argentina with 42.10% of the vote. Then come Portugal and Germany in that order.

Sports evoke a great deal of emotion. It's exciting to watch competitions and make winning predictions about the games. According to our poll, 25% of respondents think Argentina might emerge at the top of the 2022 World Cup. Brazil comes next with 21.20% of the vote.

Another intriguing prediction is that Lionel Messi of Argentina will win both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot awards. Our audience further believes Alisson from Brazil will win the Golden Glove. When it comes to tournaments, nothing is guaranteed; the tables can turn at any time. Let's wait and watch what happens!

Our survey also shows that fans are most eager to see Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar in action this year. Of those fans, 77% will be watching the matches at home with their friends and family, rather than watching alone. After all, happiness doubles when it's shared!

Having an anthem has been an important World Cup tradition since 1962. Whether it's official or unofficial, we have plenty of song options to pick from. We were a bit surprised to learn that "Waka Waka" is still unrivaled as the preferred FIFA anthem among our respondents! Shakira composed it for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and it received 66.23% of the votes on our survey, making it the clear winner. Next in line is "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan with 28.27% of the votes.

India's obsession with the other 11-player game

A nation of 1.4 billion people and 22 national languages, India's obsession with cricket is not news to the world. But, the disparity between Indians' preference for cricket and their love of other games has begun to shrink. Football popularity has evolved over decades and is close to cricket in terms of viewership lately. Though cricket remains Indians' favorite game to date, our survey showed football coming in a close second.

India has never played in the FIFA world cup. Among our respondents, 41.99% think the main reason Indian football hasn't reached the international level is a  lack of government support. Meanwhile, 33.16 % think being a cricketer is more rewarding.

To conclude

This survey was designed to assess Indians' attitudes toward football. India has evolved from a single-sport nation to a multi-sport country. However, this transition didn't happen overnight. Better infrastructure increased corporate funding, and government promotion are necessary to enhance athletic participation further.

On a lighter note, you can now subscribe to the complete schedule of FIFA World Cup 2022 in Zoho Calendar, and keep a tab on all scheduled matches.

Zoho Survey conducts quiz contests on  FIFA World Cup. Do follow our social handles to participate and stand a chance to win exciting Zoho goodies.