In 1948 World Cup India had played and lost to France 2-1.
India was invited to participate in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil considering the high standard of football those years and also keeping in view the appreciable performance of the Indian team at the 1948 Olympics. In the 1950 World Cup India were to open their campaign against Paraguay on June 25, 1950. But, as legend goes, FIFA did not allow India to take part as boots were mandatory and most Indian players were used to playing barefoot.
Those were the days my friends... ... (with apologies to Mary Hopkins).
Later....Corrigendum:Ooops....1948 was not the World Cup but the London Olympics. Sorry for the mistake.
