When Abneet Bharti will walk into the Indian national team camp ahead of the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh, it will be marked as a far more than just another call-up.
It was the culmination of a decade-long journey across four continents, 10 clubs, and endless trials. For the 27-year-old Nepal-born defender, now playing in Bolivia’s top flight, this opportunity is both a personal vindication and a reflection of Indian football’s evolving approach to global talent scouting.
In a year when India is rethinking its footballing identity, Bharti’s inclusion alongside Ryan Williams symbolizes a decisive shift in the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) recruitment strategy. The federation, under President Kalyan Chaubey, is now openly embracing players from the Indian diaspora or those with non-traditional links to India. But Bharti’s case stands out: he already holds an Indian passport, giving him a clean administrative path to represent the Blue Tigers immediately.
A Defender from Everywhere
Abneet Bharti’s football journey is as global as it gets. Born in Kathmandu in 1998, Bharti spent part of his childhood in Nigeria, where he first developed his love for the game initially as a goalkeeper. After moving to India, he began playing for Shastri FC in Delhi, earning a call-up to the India U16 team, a sign of early promise. But even at a young age, Bharti’s ambition was international.
At just 13, he signed for Geylang International’s academy in Singapore and later joined Balestier Khalsa. His first major European opportunity came in 2014 when he joined Spanish club Real Valladolid’s U19 setup a rare feat for an Indian player. That stint provided him the foundation of technical discipline and tactical awareness he would carry across continents.
His senior career began in Poland’s top division (Ekstraklasa) with Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała in 2015. Then came a productive spell in Portugal’s Sport União Sintrense, where he made 13 appearances and caught the attention of scouts. Former Arsenal midfielder Luís Boa Morte described him as “fast, athletic, and confident on the ball” praise that hinted at untapped potential.
But the next few years brought instability. Bharti’s career became defined by short-term contracts and loans across Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Kyrgyzstan, Panama, and Argentina. Each move promised a new beginning, yet most yielded limited minutes. His total senior career appearances just around 33 tell a story of constant adaptation without consistency.
The South American Chapter
In 2024, Bharti broke new ground by becoming the first Indian footballer to play professionally in Argentina, joining Deportivo Sol de Mayo in the Torneo Federal A. He made eight appearances and impressed enough to earn a move to Academia del Balompié Boliviano (ABB) in Bolivia’s División Profesional, South America’s top-tier competition under CONMEBOL.
This move, though unconventional, holds significance. Playing in Bolivia particularly at La Paz, one of the world’s highest-altitude cities at 3,600 meters demands extraordinary endurance and physical resilience. Training in thin air has made Bharti one of the fittest defenders in India’s camp. As one national team official noted, “He’s probably the most altitude-adapted player we’ve ever had. His stamina numbers are off the charts.”
Yet, despite these physical advantages, his actual match exposure remains limited. ABB, a newly promoted and low-budget club, has used Bharti mainly in rotation. As of November 2025, he has only six league appearances and a few cup games. His match rhythm, tactical sharpness, and positional awareness will be key focus areas in the national camp.
The timing of Bharti’s call-up aligns with a clear need. With Sandesh Jhingan nearing the twilight of his prime at 32, India’s central defense requires renewal. Bharti, standing at 1.85m, fits the mold tall, mobile, and confident on the ball. His experience across multiple systems and leagues gives him an uncommon tactical vocabulary for an Indian defender.
The camp’s evaluation will emphasize three key parameters:
- Tactical Communication and Organization: Can he command a backline and read game tempo against Asian opponents?
- Ball Distribution: As modern football demands centre-backs who initiate play, his composure in possession under pressure will be critical.
- Match Fitness: The coaching staff will closely track his conditioning after limited competitive minutes.
A Product of AIFF’s New Global Vision
Bharti’s selection also reflects a larger policy transformation within Indian football. The AIFF’s recent push to identify talent through diplomatic and overseas networks Bharti’s name came through the Indian Embassy in Brazil is part of a long-term plan to globalize scouting operations.
Unlike Ryan Williams, who had to renounce Australian citizenship to become eligible for India, Bharti’s existing Indian passport provides a streamlined precedent. The federation now operates on two fronts: encouraging overseas-born professionals with Indian roots to take the long route (naturalization) and simultaneously integrating those like Bharti who already meet legal criteria.
It’s a dual-pronged approach aimed at expanding the national team’s pool without compromising FIFA or citizenship regulations. For India, where football talent is widespread but often underdeveloped domestically, such international sourcing is both pragmatic and strategic.
However, Bharti’s story is also a cautionary one. Despite an impressive resume that lists 10 clubs across Europe and South America, his lack of consistent playing time raises concerns. At 27, his ceiling depends not on talent, but on stability.
Analysts believe the AIFF must guide Bharti toward a league where he can play regularly ideally the ISL or a stable European second-tier club. A full season of 25–30 starts would give him the confidence and match rhythm necessary to transition from a camp prospect to a starting international. Without that continuity, he risks being remembered more for his passport and passport stamps than for his performances.
Despite the skepticism, Bharti embodies something Indian football rarely sees a defender who has trained and competed across four football continents. His story blends ambition with adversity, and his inclusion in the camp signals India’s willingness to look beyond traditional pathways. If Ryan Williams represents immediate attacking firepower, Abneet Bharti stands for the future a symbol of adaptability and the AIFF’s evolving, outward-looking mindset.
For now, his biggest challenge isn’t convincing the selectors of his talent it’s proving that his vast global experience can finally translate into consistent, high-level performance for India.
