Beyond the World Cup-IV

Letter IV: The Many Kingdoms of Football
My dear Parth, Viyanka, and Veyd,
Today I want to show you one of the most unusual collections I have ever seen.
It is an old wooden chest. When I lift its heavy lid, I do not find gold coins or sparkling jewels. Instead, I find football trophies.
Some are tall and slender. Some are broad and shining. Some are made of silver, others of gold. Every one of them has travelled through years of history, carrying with it stories of courage, disappointment, hope, and unforgettable triumph.
You already know the most famous trophy of them all—the FIFA World Cup.
But today I want to tell you a delightful secret. The World Cup is not the whole story. It is only the brightest star in a sky filled with many other stars.
Football is played every day of the year. Long before countries gather for the World Cup, millions of supporters are already filling stadiums to cheer for the clubs they love. Every continent has its own great competitions, each with its own traditions, heroes, and dreams.
So come, let us open the chest together.
The first trophy I lift is one that every European footballer dreams of winning.
It is the UEFA Champions League trophy.
People sometimes call it "the cup with the big ears" because of its large curved handles. Every season, the finest clubs from across Europe—Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester City, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and many others—battle through months of demanding matches to earn the right to lift it. Many football lovers even say that the quality of football in the Champions League is sometimes as thrilling as the World Cup itself.
Next comes the English Premier League trophy.

England's football league is followed in almost every country on Earth. Every weekend, millions of families wake up early or stay awake late simply to watch their favourite clubs play. The competition is fast, exciting, and wonderfully unpredictable. A team that seems unbeatable one week may lose the very next.
Now we travel to Spain.
Here we find La Liga, home to famous clubs such as Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. For decades, this league has delighted football lovers with its graceful passing, dazzling skill, and remarkable players. It was here that Lionel Messi spent most of his extraordinary club career, creating moments that supporters still talk about today.
Italy proudly offers Serie A, celebrated for its tactical brilliance and disciplined defending. Germany's Bundesliga is admired for its passionate supporters and magnificent stadiums, while France's Ligue 1 has introduced the world to many exciting young footballers.
But football's story does not belong to Europe alone. Across the Atlantic Ocean lies South America, where football is played with extraordinary passion.
Here, clubs dream of winning the Copa Libertadores, the continent's greatest club competition. To many South Americans, lifting this trophy is every bit as emotional as winning the Champions League is in Europe.
Our journey now takes us to Asia.
The AFC Champions League Elite brings together the finest clubs from countries stretching from Japan and South Korea to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, India, and many others. Football in Asia has grown rapidly over the past few decades, and each season brings fresh stories of ambition and achievement.
And what about our own country?
India may not yet have won a World Cup, but football has a proud history here too. The Durand Cup, first played in 1888, is one of the oldest football tournaments in Asia and continues to be held every year. More recently, the Indian Super League has helped bring new excitement to football across the country, introducing young fans to clubs from many different cities and inspiring more children to take up the game.
By now, you may be wondering why football has so many competitions.
The answer is quite simple.
Every competition celebrates a different dream. Some decide the finest club in a country. Some crown the champions of an entire continent. And every four years, the World Cup brings together the best nations on Earth. Each tournament is like a different chapter in one very large book.
Together they tell the story of football.
As I gently close the wooden chest, I realise that every trophy, no matter how famous, has something in common.
None of them can be won by talent alone. Every one of them demands discipline, teamwork, patience, resilience, and countless hours of practice. The shining silver that we admire is really the visible reward for years of invisible effort.
That, I think, is true far beyond football.
A scientist earns recognition only after years of careful experiments. A musician delights audiences after thousands of hours of practice. A painter creates a masterpiece only after filling many sketchbooks with quiet effort.
Success rarely arrives all at once. It is usually built one ordinary day at a time.
So the next time you watch a football match from England, Spain, Brazil, Japan, or India, remember that you are looking at one small part of a magnificent story that stretches across continents and throughout the year.
The FIFA World Cup may be football's greatest festival. But these many competitions keep the beautiful game alive every single day. And that is why millions of people never stop following football, even after the World Cup has ended.
With all my love,
Dadu

(Uday Kumar Varma is an IAS officer. Retired as Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting)