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With the FIFA U17 World Cup in full swing, the six host cities have given mixed responses to the showpiece event. In a country obsessed with cricket, it was a big question how the people fared in a football event. But to everyone’s delight, the people of India gave much support to the world’s most popular game. Some venues have been extraordinary while some have been average.
#6 Fatorda Stadium (Margao, Goa)
Highest Attendance: 12,830 Average Attendance: 10,670
Though the Fatorda Stadium in Margao is the smallest stadium of all the venues in the on-going World Cup, it was expected that the turnout will be good taking into consideration the football culture in this part of the country. But, the response was pretty poor in the coastal city which was a real setback for the tournament.
The match between two big shot teams like Germany and Costa Rica saw only 12,329 fans inside the stadium, but it was deemed as ‘sold out’ when the tickets went up for sale. Goa is one of the powerhouses of Indian football with top-flight clubs like Dempo S.C, Salgaocar F.C, Churchill Brothers and Sporting Clube de Goa all playing their home matches at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (also known as the ‘Fatorda’ stadium).
The tie between Brazil and Niger was the highest attended match at the venue with 15,830. There are still three matches left in Goa, out of which two are Round of 16 fixtures and a lone quarter-final. Hopefully, there will be more visitors in the business end of the biennial event.
#5 Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium (Guwahati)
Highest Attendance: 15,794 Average Attendance: 12,521
Widely known for its passionate fans, the home of North East United FC always sported a strong crowd during the Indian Super League. But with a capacity of 23,800, a good turnout was expected. Among the four matches played so far in the venue, 15,794 was the highest attendance, during the match between Mexico and Chile.
The Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium is a very lucky place for the Indian senior football team as they have an unbeaten record in the three matches played. The most memorable being the 6-1 thrashing of Laos in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier last year. The highest scoring match of the tournament so far was played over here, France trounced new entrants New Caledonia 7-1 in front of 12,640 fans present during the World Cup match at the venue.
Also known as the Sarusajai Stadium, an important semi-final clash has been awarded to the stadium which will be played on October 25th, and also a quarter-final on the 21st of October.
#4 Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi)
Highest Attendance: 21,362 Average Attendance: 11,858
Kerala is a place where football is taken seriously, many memorable International football matches have taken place in this venue. Recently, the enormous turnout during the Indian Super League earned the venue many accolades from all corners of the football fraternity.
Initially, the 60000-seated Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was reduced to 41,700 for the mega event. But, it was eventually curtailed to 29,000 by FIFA for security purposes.
The tickets evaporated in quick succession and everyone was expecting a full house during the biggest group match between Spain and Brazil. Officially, 21,362 was the attendance for the clash between the Europeans and the Latin Americans. Due to the local fans, the Brazilian team got a flavour of playing a home match with the stands filled with yellow shirts.
Gone are the days when almost 1 lakh people gathered at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to witness the semi-final clash between India and Iraq during the 1997 Nehru Cup. The yellow army came in numbers to support Kerala Blasters FC during the first three seasons of the Indian Super League and had the highest average attendance among all the venues.
#3 DY Patil Stadium (Navi Mumbai)
Highest Attendance: 25,342 Average Attendance: 17,571
The cantilever roof supported spectacular D.Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai is a venue with world-class facilities and the crowd support did not disappoint either. The 5-goal thriller between Paraguay and Mali on the opening day of the tournament was played in front of 25,342 people from the western metropolitan city.
Though Mumbai is not known for its football following, yet it promised well after two successful Indian Super League seasons at the venue. Originally used to host cricket matches, the Navi Mumbai-based venue hosted the final of the inaugural Indian Premier League as well as the title clash of the first-ever Indian Super League. The support during both the matches was phenomenal!
Though the response for the matches was good compared to Guwahati and Goa, still a lot is expected from the DY Patil stadium. A Round of 16 match along with a semi-final tie is still scheduled to be played at the stadium. Hopefully, the local people will rise to the occasion and show the world that India has the potential of being a powerhouse in football.
#2 Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (New Delhi)
Highest Attendance: 52,614 Average Attendance: 35,410
The iconic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium stands out as one of the most spectacular sports venues in the entire nation. Initially built as the main athletics venue for the 1982 Asian Games, it was given a facelift during for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
The newly laid pitch at the capital was all set to host the home team for the group matches and the response was phenomenal. The attendance during India’s first match was 46,750. The ‘Blue Tigers’ gave a spirited fight but the Americans outclassed them by scoring 3 goals to India’s none. India’s tie against Colombia saw a rise in the count and increased to 48,184.
It was a remarkable match with India scoring its first ever goal at a FIFA event but went on to lose the game 1-2 after an exciting contest. Jeakson’s header against the South Americans gave the nation a new hope in a sport which was not so popular among the people.
With India needing at least a win to qualify for the next round, 52,614 passionate fans made their way to the rectangular field for the match against Ghana. In a much-anticipated match, the Africans toyed with the Indian defence with a 4-0 win and stormed in the knockout stages.
Though it was heartbreaking for the fans, the Indian Colts’ display at the top level was lauded by each and every one present at the stadium. The young guns promise much more to offer in the future!
#1 Salt Lake Stadium (Kolkata)
Highest Attendance: 56,372 Average Attendance: 50,316
The majestic Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata was one of the largest stadiums in the world before it was renovated for the Indian Super League and then the FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Kolkata is known as the “Mecca of Indian football”, mainly due to its passion for the game and rich history associated with the game.
Though none of the matches featured India, still the Salt Lake Stadium recorded the highest attendance so far in the tournament with a turnout of 56,372 for the match between England and Iraq. The lowest attended match among all held at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan was 44,665! It speaks loads about the football crazy fans in the ‘City of Joy.’
The venue which saw more than 1, 20,000 for the Kolkata Derby in 1997, was decreased to 80,000. FIFA allowed only 66,687 seats for the tournament so that the people can be vacated from the huge stands within minutes. Kolkata was upfront in terms of the number of tickets sold as they were sold out within hours after they opened to the public.
Many vital matches are still to be played at the venue including a Round of 16 tie, a quarter-final, the third-place match and the all-important final on the 28th October.
