Som Kumar’s Journey from Slovenia to India’s National Team
On September 14, a young goalkeeper will step onto a flight to Bangalore carrying more than just a pair of gloves. Som Kumar will be taking with him the weight of a breakthrough — for himself, for his club ND Slovan, and for an Indian football system still learning to trust pathways beyond its own borders.
Kumar, who plays in Slovenia’s second tier, has earned his first-ever call-up to India’s senior national team ahead of a high-profile run of international friendlies. In a squad built largely from the Indian domestic scene, he stands alone as the only overseas-based player selected from outside that structure. That detail matters. It signals a shift.
“Som's call-up is a great recognition for him and a special source of pride for ND Slovan. Our player will be part of the senior national team during an international cycle in which India will also face two giants of world football, Brazil and Uruguay. Congratulations, Som! We are proud of you and wish you great success in the national team shirt!”
For Kumar, this moment has been four years in the making on European soil. Since 2020, he has worked his way through the youth systems of Bravo, Krka, and Olimpija Ljubljana, learning his trade far from home in environments where young goalkeepers are expected to command, not just react. That education earned him senior terms at Radomlje, and later a move to ND Slovan, where he has already made 17 competitive appearances.
Those minutes matter now. They form the backbone of the case that has carried him into the national setup.
This is not just a romantic story of an Indian player abroad. It is a practical endorsement of the European route he chose. His rise into the senior squad underlines that Indian football is willing to reward development outside its traditional channels, and that a second-tier club in Slovenia can be as valid a proving ground as any domestic academy back home.
Upcoming Matches
The stage he walks onto could hardly be bigger.
India begin their upcoming international series against Panama in Bengaluru on September 26, a fixture that will set the tone for a demanding run. Then comes the headline act. On October 3, in Kolkata, the Blue Tigers face Brazil — a meeting with one of the sport’s ultimate reference points. Three days later, at the same venue, Uruguay await with their own storied history and a long line of ruthless forwards.
For any goalkeeper, those three matches represent a trial by fire. For one at the start of his international journey, they are an invitation to announce himself.
There is no guarantee of minutes, no promise that Kumar will step onto the pitch against such heavyweight opposition. But simply being in that camp, preparing to deal with South American attacks that punish every hesitation, is a test of temperament as much as talent.
If he does get the nod, even briefly, the narrative writes itself: a young keeper from Slovenia’s second tier, standing under the lights in Kolkata, staring down the kind of forwards he grew up watching on television. If he doesn’t, the experience still feeds into something larger — a growing belief that Indian players can carve out careers abroad and still find a pathway back into the national team.
For ND Slovan, Kumar’s call-up is already a landmark. For Indian football, the bigger question lingers: is this the start of a new pattern, where more players follow his route and force their way into the conversation from beyond the domestic leagues?
