'Not A Messiah': Netizens Dig Up Ranjit Bajaj's Past Controversies Amid Calls To Make Him Head Coach For First-Ever FIFA U-15 World Cup
New Delhi: Ranjit Bajaj and his Minerva Academy have been trending for the past few months for the exceptional victory exhibited by the club’s under 15 team defeating Liverpool FC’s youth team. Since India’s junior club Minerva Academy FC thrashed Liverpool FC’s U-15 team by 6-0 at the prestigious Mediterranean International Cup (MIC Cup) in Spain in April this year, Bajaj and his training have been gaining appreciation.
The incident has reignited debate about India’s football future, and the potential the country has if talent is used effectively. Bajaj has appealed the AIFF to appoint him head coach of India’s U-15 team for the first-ever FIFA U-15 World Cup. His supporters have rallied online, backing his his request. Many pointed to Minerva Academy FC’s achievement as the first Indian club to win the prestigious 2026 Helsinki Cup in Finland. Others cited it as proof of Bajaj’s credentials for the role. Bajaj’s bold claim – “Give me charge of India’s U-15 team… and I’ll deliver the World Cup” – has also sparked excitement among fans across the country.
Amid overwhelming support, some social media users have dug up certain past controversies in connection with Bajaj. One Reddit user has highlighted that Ranjit Bajaj does not hold any Asian Football Confederation (AFC) coaching license. He further claimed that Bajaj played a pivotal role in the 2022 FIFA ban on the All India Football Federation (AIFF). After he filed a petition challenging the then AIFF administration, the Supreme Court removed the old committee and appointed a new group to run the federation, which FIFA penalised as illegal “third-party interference”, leading to the ban.
The user then claimed that Bajaj lied to the Supreme Court that Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) selects the national team. He then pointed out the three-year ban Minerva faced from participating in the Administrator’s Cup in 2018 for age fraud by fielding overage players, and another ban from competing in youth tournaments because several players failed the governing body’s mandatory bone-age tests in 2019.
Ranjit Bajaj has also faced a ban for one year from all football activity with a fine of Rs 10 lakh by the AIFF after the federation found him guilty of making racist remarks against a referee.
Notably, Bajaj has publicly accused the AIFF of systemic corruption for years, making his appointment a delicate political topic despite massive public support.
Casual Indian football fans, here’s a compilation of Ranjit Bajaj’s biggest controversies before you start calling him a Messiah.
1. Ranjit Bajaj is not a coach, he doesn’t hold an AFC coaching license.
2. He was one of the reasons behind India being banned by FIFA in 2022.
3.… pic.twitter.com/Kd2G5E7tAF— Nandini Gupta (@yoursnandieni) July 14, 2026
