The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 was a landmark event for Indian football. It marked the first time that any team from the country participated in the global quadrennial event.
Seven years down the line, several players from that squad have gone on to have remarkable careers, whilst others have faded away from the limelight. Here’s a brief look at their careers ever since their World Cup appearance for the Blue Tigers.
- Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem
The goalkeeper has shone brilliantly since that impressive campaign in 2017, and is currently the No. 1 choice between the posts for arguably the biggest club in India, i.e. Mohun Bagan Super Giant.
- Boris Singh Thangjam
The 24-year-old winger from Imphal is presently a bona fide starter for FC Goa. He has represented the Mariners and Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) previously.
- Jitendra Singh
Jitendra Singh is now a defensive midfielder for Chennaiyin FC. He had a storied five-year-long stint from 2019-24 with Jamshedpur FC formerly.
- Anwar Ali
Anwar Ali was one of the star performers in that World Cup. He has had a fascinating career trajectory, overcoming a serious heart issue, and is now a central defender for both the national team as well as East Bengal FC.
- Sanjeev Stalin
Sanjeev Stalin is a left-back and he had a fairly good stint at Kerala Blasters FC before moving to Mumbai City FC. He has won a few titles with the Islanders, but has been unable to nail down a starting spot yet.
- Suresh Singh Wangjam
The midfielder powerhouse has become an undisputed regular in the Bengaluru FC unit as well as for the Blue Tigers. He is well revered by seasoned club stars like Sunil Chhetri and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, who speak highly of his talent.
- Ninthoinganba Meetei
Ninthoinganba Meetei has been around the circuit for long enough, but he properly came into the public attention after a couple of tremendous goals that helped the Marina Machans qualify for the ISL playoffs last year. He is now representing Punjab FC.
- Amarjit Singh Kiyam
Amarjit Singh Kiyam led India in that U-17 World Cup. He is currently donning the role of a midfielder for the newly-promoted Mohammedan SC.
- Aniket Jadhav
The livewire winger is currently employed by Jamshedpur FC. He has turned up for teams like Hyderabad FC, East Bengal FC, and Odisha FC formerly.
- Abhijit Sarkar
The attacking midfielder from West Bengal is a part of Mohammedan SC. Last season, he played for Real Kashmir FC, but Sakar hasn’t seen sufficient playing time coming his way.
- Komal Thatal
Komal Thatal was touted to be one of the superstars of Indian football after his flashy outings in the World Cup in 2017. His career has seen a nosedive since then, and is presently rubbing shoulders in the reserve team of Chennaiyin FC.
- Hendry Antonay
Hendry Antonay, 24, is a defender who hails from Austin Town in Bengaluru. At present, he plays for Thrissur Magic FC, where he moved from the Odisha FC reserve team this year.
- Lalengmawia Ralte
Lalengmawia Ralte, or Apuia as he is fondly referred to as, secured a high-profile transfer from Mumbai City FC to Mohun Bagan Super Giant this summer. He will be a vital cog in their quest of defending their ISL title this year.
- Rahim Ali
The Odisha FC forward is finding his footing with the Juggernauts after switching them from a lukewarm five-year-long spell with Chennaiyin FC. Rahim Ali scored 10 goals during his tenure with the Marina Machans.
- Jeakson Singh
Jeakson Singh was one of the important transfers secured by East Bengal FC this previous summer. Prior to that, he had a good run with the Kerala Blasters FC were he established his name as one of the most promising central midfielders in India.
- Nongdamba Naorem
Nongdamba Naorem has been one of the players from this batch who has been shuffling across clubs to seek some stability. He is now a part of the Kerala-based Malappuram FC, whom he joined from Jamshedpur FC.
- Rahul KP
Rahul KP has been one of the more consistent forwards for Kerala Blasters FC, having scored seven goals and notched four assists in the ISL since debuting in the league in 2017.
- Namit Deshpande
There is no concrete record regarding the whereabouts of Namit Deshpande. He last played for FC Delco and is currently shown to be without a club by transfermarkt.com.
- Mohammad Shahajahan
Mohammad Shahajahan, a midfielder, too has been away from mainstream of the Indian football. His last recorded transfer was to the Agartala-based Forward FC in 2022.
- Prabsukhan Singh Gill
Prabsukhan Singh Gill is a commanding goalkeeper, who is currently a No. 1 for East Bengal FC. He is also widely heralded as a natural successor to Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the national team.
- Sunny Dhaliwal
The goalkeeper shifted to Canada to further his professional career in 2018. He had stints with TFC Academy, Toronto Skillz, GM Patriots, and SB Vaqueros, and is not associated with any club since 2022.
How many of these players will continue their surge and go on to have fascinating runs at both the club and the country levels? More importantly, the ones who have been unable to mark, will they manage to spark a comeback in their respective careers at some point in the future? Only time will tell.
