Football in India has historically been among the top 3 most popular sports in terms of players participation and TV viewership, together with long time number one cricket and re-emerging kabaddi. India's current top domestic football league is Indian Super League, formed with eight teams to promote Indian football in the country and the world. The league began in 2014 and after third season, it was recognised by AFC as the national football league, running parallel with the I-League, thus (until 2022) leaving India as one of the few countries ever with two fully recognised top-tier football leagues. Also contested in Santosh Trophy, a knock-out competition between states (provinces) and government institutions. The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup was hosted by India in the month of October in 2017, the first time the country hosted a FIFA event. The tournament was touted as the most successful FIFA U-17 World Cup ever, with the attendance being a record 1,347,133 surpassing China's 1985 edition where it was 1,230,976. India also hosted the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. India also bid to host the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, but lost to Poland. History Pre independence The origin of football in India can be traced back to mid-nineteenth century when the game was introduced by British soldiers. Initially, games were played between army teams. However, clubs were soon set up around the country. Calcutta FC was the first club to be established in 1872, though reports suggest that they were initially a rugby club and switched their attentions to football as late as 1894. Other early clubs include Dalhousie Club, Traders Club and Naval Volunteers Club. Several other football clubs like Sovabazar, Mohun Bagan and Aryan Club were established in Calcutta around the 1890s. Calcutta, then capital of British India, soon became the hub of Indian football. Tournaments like Gladstone Cup, Trades Cup and Cooch Behar Cup was also started around this time. The Durand Cup and IFA Shield were both started in late nineteenth century. The first Indian team to achieve success was Sovabazar Club, which won the Trades Cup in 1892. Mohun Bagan Athletic Club was set up in what is now West Bengal in 1889. The club became famous in 1911 when it became the first Indian team to lift the IFA Shield, a tournament previously won only by British teams based in India. It defeated the East Yorkshire