India withdrew from the 1950 FIFA World Cup because its team wanted to play barefoot.

the verdict

REFUTED

the evidence says no

Recorded sources

0 sources for · 2 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that India withdrew from the 1950 FIFA World Cup because its team wanted to play barefoot?

No. Reference accounts of the 1950 World Cup state that India's football association withdrew citing travel costs, lack of practice time, team selection problems, and a preference for the Olympics; one notes a barefoot-play ban only as a report and says the captain denied it was part of the decision.

Verdict: REFUTED · 0 sources for, 2 against · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

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Evidence against · 2

1950 FIFA World Cup - Wikipedia

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1950 FIFA World Cup - Wikipedia. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1950_FIFA_World_Cup

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More against · 1

1950 FIFA World Cup qualification

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1950 FIFA World Cup qualification. (n.d.). en.wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1950_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification

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