Why China and India are so bad at football - AFR

Theory Briefing

• A massive population should guarantee a deep talent pool, yet neither China nor India features in global football's elite despite their sheer size.
• Football success appears tied to infrastructure, youth development systems, and culture — factors that dwarf raw headcount as predictors.
• Countries far smaller than China or India consistently dominate world football, suggesting diminishing returns on population alone.
• The puzzle challenges the intuitive idea that more people automatically means more elite athletes in any given sport.