Debodinna Chakraborty

Senior Sub-editor at India Today Sports — forever tweaking football stories and sneaking cinema into the mix.

[India Today Sports @ITGDsports]

One goal for Cristiano Ronaldo, one headache for Portugal

@DeboDenoC writes as Portugal ready to face Spain in the #FIFAWorldCup Round of 16

#CristianoRonaldo
https://t.co/FaQU7cXPMF

[IndiaToday @IndiaToday]

Portugal are through... but the questions aren't going away. 👀

Cristiano Ronaldo's side scraped into the knockouts after a tense draw with Colombia, with their midfield once again coming under the spotlight. 🇨🇴⚽

#FIFAWorldCup #COLPOR | @DeboDenoC
https://t.co/9jxzHtIVjF

[India Today Sports @ITGDsports]

The smallest nations can dream the biggest dreams.

Cabo Verde are through to the #FIFAWorldCup2026 knockouts. 🌍🇨🇻✨

[India Today Sports @ITGDsports]

Scrutiny's favourite target. Football's ultimate survivor.

Cristiano Ronaldo walked into Houston under pressure and walked out with two goals, another record and the last laugh. The critics keep coming. So do the answers.

@DeboDenoC

#CristianoRonaldo #FIFAWorldCup

https://t.co/VIaz7mUBkt

[IndiaToday @IndiaToday]

Argentina know exactly what Messi means to them.

Portugal are still trying to define Ronaldo's place in this version of their team.

@DeboDenoC with another hot World Cup take.

Read here

https://t.co/YhbZWnQpOn

[IndiaToday @IndiaToday]

Messi opens his 2026 World Cup with a hat-trick. While Ronaldo goes goalless in Round 1 as the rivalry takes a dramatic early twist.

Two legends. Two different starts.

@DeboDenoC #Messi #Ronaldo #FIFAWorldCup

https://t.co/GR7PRcMjvO

[India Today Sports @ITGDsports]

The World Cup gave fans a Messi hat-trick, a Mbappe record and a Haaland brace.

Yet #CristianoRonaldo walked away empty-handed as Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo.

Here's our match report by @DeboDenoC 👇

#FIFAWorldCup2026 #PORCOD ⚽🏆
https://t.co/ViwrXbCR7E

[Joy Bhattacharjya @joybhattacharj]

The truth is that FIFA is desperate to get India to play in the World Cup, has been for a while as we are literally the largest sports market with just a single sport dominating, the last fairly unexplored major market in sport.
They gave us the FIFA U17 World Cup on which I worked for that reason. The women's U 17 as well, they also wanted to give us the U20 tournament if our team continued to do improve, but the AIFF had imploded by then.
FIFA, like every world sporting body other than the ICC, wants to bring our huge audiences to their sport. It is our collective sports administration incompetence coupled with a clunky structure of sports being in the state list instead of the central list that is shooting us in the foot.
And why most major Indian sporting achievements have been individual, despite the system instead of thanks to the system.

[India Today Sports @ITGDsports]

What was your first #FIFAWorldCup memory?

@AmarPanicker asked colleagues around the @IndiaToday newsroom about their first World Cup memory that first captured their imagination.

The answers were nostalgic, surprising and deeply personal.

Read:
https://t.co/3cWPuAUEpz

[India Today Sports @ITGDsports]

🧵Messi vs Ronaldo.👊

The rivalry that defined a generation.

Five World Cups each. Countless records. Endless debates.

And now, football could be preparing for one final chapter as both legends eye a historic sixth #FIFAWorldCup in 2026.

[India Today Sports @ITGDsports]

#CristianoRonaldo's World Cup legacy👇

⚽ First player to score in five different World Cups
🇵🇹 Most World Cups played by a European footballer (5)
🏆 On course to become the first player alongside Messi to appear at six World Cups

The trophy still eludes him.

[India Today Sports @ITGDsports]

#LionelMessi's World Cup legacy:

🏆 World Cup winner
🎖️ Two-time Golden Ball winner
⚽ 13 World Cup goals
���� 21 goal contributions
📈 Most appearances and minutes played in men's World Cup history

Yet he's coming back for more.

[India Today Sports @ITGDsports]

One completed football.

One is still chasing the final piece.

Messi vs Ronaldo has lasted longer than anyone imagined. The FIFA World Cup 2026 could be the final time we witness football's greatest rivalry on the grandest stage.

���️ @DeboDenoC

Read👇
https://t.co/EVGdEnPb0v

[Debodinna Chakraborty @DeboDenoC]

@Straying_mind 🌚🙋🏻

[IndiaToday @IndiaToday]

India may not be playing at the #FIFAWorldCup2026. But every four years, millions of Indians make the tournament their own.

So why are fans still waiting for clarity on how they'll watch football's biggest spectacle?

@DeboDenoC ✍️ @ITGDsports

https://t.co/BxKzOIJUnf

[Debodinna Chakraborty @DeboDenoC]

@sabya0912 Thank you 🙏

[Debodinna Chakraborty @DeboDenoC]

All the years of frustration gone.

This time, the Bangals celebrate.

#EastBengalFC #IndianSuperLeague

[IndiaToday @IndiaToday]

22 years of waiting. 22 years of "kobe abar champion hobe?"

Last night, the pain evaporated.

East Bengal are champions of India once again.

⚽�� Chilam, achhi, thakbo. ⚽️

Read @DeboDenoC's take on the historic night for Kolkata football:

https://t.co/xNXfPBvUvo

[India Today Sports @ITGDsports]

India’s first basketball league does not want to be the next IPL 🏀

And that might be exactly why the IBL has a shot.

A sustainable pathway for young Indian players.

@DeboDenoC gives us the exclusive with commissioner Jeremy Loeliger ⬇️

#Basketball

https://t.co/cLOVIFrxvX

[India Today Sports @ITGDsports]

Delhi Capitals were 55/1. Then KKR’s spinners happened. 😵

Narine, Varun and Anukul absolutely suffocated DC, who somehow scored just 11 runs between overs 12-16. 🤯

📝: @DeboDenoC

#DCvsKKR

https://t.co/HlQrITqwD6

[India Today Sports @ITGDsports]

A Khel Ratna awardee
An ex-Thomas Cup champion.
A former World No 1.

@KusariKingshuk talks to @satwiksairaj who says he is tired of feeling invisible after all that he's done in his career.

#Badminton #Sports

Read all about it here🔽👇

https://t.co/UKnOTN5C3B