Bhaichung Bhutia (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: The announcement of a glamour friendly between India and Brazil should have been a moment of celebration for Indian football. Instead, it has exposed the widening gap between spectacle and substance, prompting former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia to question both the timing and the purpose of the high-profile fixture.“The timing of the Brazil friendly is a problem for me,” Bhutia said, pointing out that India will be involved in the FIFA ASEAN Cup around the same period. “The FIFA ASEAN Cup will be taking place at that time and we don’t know how the national team will be formed.” His concerns are difficult to dismiss. India, ranked 138th in the world, have been drawn alongside Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in the ASEAN Cup, a tournament where only the group winner advances.With qualification already a challenging prospect, diverting attention towards an exhibition match raises legitimate questions about priorities. Bhutia’s criticism goes beyond scheduling. For him, the Brazil match has become a symbol of a football ecosystem struggling to address its fundamental problems.“I was wondering about the purpose of the friendly match against Brazil. Is Indian football going to gain anything out of it?” he asked.The question strikes at the heart of the debate. A match against five-time world champions Brazil will undoubtedly generate excitement, television audiences and commercial interest. But can a single evening against one of football’s global giants compensate for years of structural decline? The former captain believes it cannot. “A big corporate group like the Tatas have declared shutting down of Jamshedpur FC. It goes to show the health of Indian football,” he said.The uncertainty surrounding Jamshedpur FC has only amplified concerns about the financial sustainability of Indian football. At a time when clubs are struggling, developmental pathways remain weak and investment is shrinking, a marquee international fixture risks appearing disconnected from the realities on the ground.Bhutia painted an even bleaker picture of the current state of the game. “The focus of the football federation should be getting the house in order. Let alone the seniors, even the U-17s are failing to earn qualification in continental tournaments,” he said. “The national league is in disarray, the junior programme is rudderless and there is no money to develop the grassroots game.”His views have found support within the playing community. India full-back Nikhil Poojary echoed similar concerns on social media, noting the contrast between celebrating Brazil’s visit and waking up to news of another club shutting down operations.India has hosted football royalty before. Uruguay and Argentina played in the Nehru Cup during the 1980s, while Lionel Messi’s Argentina visited in 2011 and again in 2025. Those occasions generated excitement and memories, but they did little to alter the trajectory of Indian football.