London Olympics 1948 to Mohun Bagan's Triumph: Look Indian Football's connection with UK ahead of Unity Cup 2026
India will play in the UK for the first time in 24 years.
The Indian football team are all set to make their debut in the Unity Cup as they face Jamaica on 28 May at 12:00 AM IST. The match will be played at The Valley in London, with excitement building among fans ahead of the historic clash. It will mark the first time in 24 years that the Blue Tigers return to the UK for an international football match.
So naturally, there is plenty of anticipation surrounding the fixture among Indian football fans. Over the years, Indian football has shared several historic and fascinating connections with the UK, making this occasion even more special, and one such connection is the current Indian forward Ryan Williams, who played for multiple English clubs like Fulham, Portsmouth, Oxford United FC, etc, early in his footballing career.
However, in this article, we will take a closer look at some of the most historically interesting links between Indian football and the UK.
Indian Football Team play Jamaica twice in England in 2002
India’s previous meetings against Jamaica came during the 2002 international friendlies in England. In the first encounter at Vicarage Road, Jamaica secured a 3-0 win through goals from Germaine Anderson, Aaron Lawrence and Ian Goodison, while India captain Bhaichung Bhutia also had an early effort ruled out for offside.
However, the Blue Tigers responded strongly in the second match at Molineux Stadium, where a disciplined defensive display led by Mahesh Gawli helped India hold Jamaica to a hard-fought 0-0 draw.
Mohun Bagan vs East Yorkshire, The historical triumph of 1911 IFA shield
A historic pre-independence connection between India and the UK is when Mohun Bagan defeated the East Yorkshire Regiment of the British army in 1911.
On 29 July 1911, this very event happened and became one of the most important days in the history of Indian football.
The Mariners defeated East Yorkshire in an epic final where a crowd of more than 80,000 people assembled to witness history in the making. The match ended with a scoreline of 2-1 in favour of Mohun Bagan, courtesy of goals from captain Shibdas Bhaduri and Abhilash Ghosh as Mohun Bagan lifted the IFA Shield.
This is perhaps a day which no Indian can forget, as this was more than just a victory in a football match; it was a win against a colonial regime in pre-independent India.
East Bengal FC vs Leicester City FC (Pepsi Max Challenge Cup, 2004)
From one side of Kolkata, we now move to another side of Kolkata. Mohun Bagan’s archrivals East Bengal FC also have a connection to the UK. This happened when East Bengal FC played against Premier League champions Leicester City FC on 31 July 2004 in the Pepsi Max Challenge Cup.
East Bengal were invited to the Pepsi Max Challenge Cup held in England, as it was a special celebratory tournament held in celebration of the Foxes’ 120th anniversary. East Bengal faced Leicester in the opening game at the Walker Stadium in Leicester, which is now known as the King Power Stadium.
The East Bengal FC went toe to toe against Leicester City FC till the very end, but due to an incident inside the penalty box, East Bengal FC conceded a penalty kick. The penalty was converted in the 69th minute by Trevor Benjamin, and East Bengal lost a very close game with a scoreline of 1-0.
Bhaichung Bhutia signing for Bury FC
An iconic moment when an icon of Indian football, Bhaichung Bhutia, signed for League One club Bury FC in September 1999.
This was history in the making as Bhaichung Bhutia became the first Indian footballer to sign a professional contract with an English club. But it was a stint which was not filled with glory. Bhaichung made 37 appearances for The Shakers over his three-year journey in the club till 2002 and scored 8 goals.
While his time with an English club didn’t go very well, it opened the gates for various Indian footballers in the coming years to pursue their footballing journey abroad.
Mohammed Salim’s stint with Celtic FC
When we talk about Indian football and its connection with the UK, one name that can never be forgotten is Mohammed Salim, famously known as ‘The Indian Juggler’. After making a name for himself with Mohammedan Sporting in India, he went on to represent Celtic FC in Scotland, becoming the first Indian footballer to play in Europe.
Salim made his debut for Celtic in 1936 against Galston in a 7-1 victory, where he registered 3 assists. He later scored from the penalty spot in a 6-0 win against Hamilton. One of the most fascinating aspects of his story is that he played barefoot, something completely unheard of for the British at the time.
This remains one of the most remarkable historic connections between Indian football and the UK.
Sunil Chhetri’s almost-moment in English football
Another connection between Indian football and UK is when the Indian legend Sunil Chhetri almost played for an English club.
In August 2009, news came out that Sunil Chhetri, a prodigy, had signed a contract with Championship club Queens Park Rangers (QPR). He was almost certain of playing for QPR, and it was a 3-year contract which would have kept him in the club till 2011, the same year when QPR was promoted to the Premier League.
But fate had other plans. Chhetri’s work permit visa was declined by the UK government because, according to British rules, non-European Union players were allowed work visas only if their country was ranked above 70th in the FIFA ranking, which India was not.
A very close Premier League call went away, and perhaps the dream of seeing an Indian footballer play in the Premier League also faded away with it
Indian football and the 1948 London Olympics: Beginning of a new journey
A fresh journey began in London, the same place where India will play in Unity Cup 2026, when the city hosted the 1948 Summer Olympic Games. This was the first time the Indian football team appeared in the Olympics.
The Indian football team made its first Olympic appearance against France, which was also the first match played by a team representing the newly independent India.
On 31 July 1948, Indian footballing history walked into the middle of the Cricklefield Stadium in London in front of 17,000 spectators to face France. The game ended 2-1 in favour of France, but the Indian team showed resilience throughout. From the Indian side Sarangapani Raman scored the solitary goal.
This was perhaps the beginning of the post-independence era of Indian football, and even this had a UK connection.
Michael Chopra’s English Football Journey and Connection to the ISL
A very fresh connection between Indian football and the UK is when the Indian-origin British player played for Kerala Blasters FC in the Indian Super League (ISL). The Newcastle legend played for Kerala Blasters FC in ISL 2014 and 2017.
Michael also tried to represent India at the international stage after representing England at youth levels in 2016.
However, this never happened due to various issues, including the age factor, as he was 33 at that time, and the striker of Indian heritage did not play for the Indian team, but he did play in the Indian Super League, which again gives us another connection between UK and Indian football.
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Ayushman Sharma is a sports enthusiast with a deep love for football, following the game closely since 2018. A hardcore supporter of NorthEast United FC and FC Barcelona, he has also gained valuable on-ground experience by volunteering during FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Guwahati.