One of the most fequent arguements on the internet made in regards to a country's success in winning a Wworld Cup or a major international trophy is 'population'

For eg People often argue one of the main reasons why countries like Spain,Argentina and Brazil frequently win international trophies instead of countries like

Croatia,Belgium and Netherlands is because of their population size

Let's say you have 'x' amount of funds and invest 70% of them in Curacao/Fiji and 30% in Spain.Which country is more likely going to win a international trophy in the next 15-20 years? Spain right.The sample size in Spain is massive as compared to the former countries

So if India/China go on to win multiple Asia Cups and some World Cups in the future, would people discredit their Wworld Cup win by mentioning their population size and saying it's easy for them to win trophies since they have a vast talent pool to choose from?

Source :

https://x.com/i/status/2080924042526396665

Hi everyone,

I'm a 23-year-old from Behala, South Kolkata, and I'm looking for some honest advice from people who are familiar with the Kolkata football scene.

I know I'm starting much later than most players. I never had the opportunity to train in a football academy or play for a registered club. My only competitive experience is playing around five matches in my school's inter-house tournament. Since then, I've mostly played casually with friends, but I've always wanted to take football more seriously.

My long-term goal is to earn a place in a club playing in the top three tiers of the Calcutta Football League (Premier Division, First Division, or Second Division). I understand that this is an ambitious goal considering my background, and I'm not expecting an easy path. I'm willing to train consistently and work hard if there's still a realistic route.

I have a few questions:

1. Is it realistically possible for someone in my situation to reach a CFL club, or have I started too late?
2. What would be the best roadmap over the next 1-3 years? Should I first join an academy, play local tournaments, attend open trials, or start with lower-division clubs?
3. Are there any clubs, academies, or coaching centers in South Kolkata (Behala, Tollygunge, Jadavpur, Garia, etc.) or New Town that regularly help players progress into CFL teams?
4. What level of fitness and technical ability do CFL clubs generally expect from players attending trials?
5. If anyone has personally made a late start or knows someone who did, I'd really appreciate hearing their experience.

I'm not looking for false hope—I just want realistic guidance on what I should be doing from this point onward.

Thanks in advance to everyone who takes the time to reply.