On the 23rd June 1937 at the Army Headquarters, Simla, the All
India
Football Federation was formed at a meeting of the representatives of
football associations of six regions where the game was very popular in
those days. The six regions which attended that historic meeting were
Indian Football Association (IFA) the ruling body of the game in
Bengal, Army Sports Control Board, United Provinces, Bihar, North West
India Football Association and Delhi.
After several acrimonious meetings and intensive deliberations, the All
India Football Federation (AIFF) came into existence in the summer of
1937.After Independence, the AIFF sought affiliation to the world body
FIFA. So eleven years after being founded, the AIFF joined FIFA in 1948.