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New Delhi, 29 April 2026: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interest in sports and especially his enthusiasm for football is now being praised all over the world. FIFA President Gianni Infantino shared a special post on social media on Wednesday praising PM Modi’s sportsmanship. Prime Minister Modi is currently on a tour of Sikkim, where he surprised everyone by playing football with local children in the beautiful Gangtok morning. These pictures went viral on social media. FIFA Chief Infantino wrote, “It is really wonderful to see Narendra Modi playing our beautiful game. Football truly connects the whole world together.”

PM Modi himself had shared pictures of these moments on ‘X’ (anonymous Twitter). He wrote in his post, “There is no joy like playing football with my young friends in this beautiful morning of Gangtok. The football session with these youngsters was really full of energy.” In the north-eastern states of India like Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur and Meghalaya, football is not just a game but a passion. In many areas, the popularity of football is more than that of cricket. Experts believe that PM Modi entering the field with children is a big and positive message of encouragement for local sports lovers.

This is not the first time that Infantino has praised PM Modi. Earlier, both the leaders had also met during the G-20 Summit held in Argentina in 2018. At that time the FIFA President had gifted a football jersey with his name to PM Modi. Then PM Modi had mentioned the popularity of Argentinian football stars in India. This estimate of PM Modi through sports is being considered symbolic to further strengthen the relations between India and the global sports world.

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