Byju’s co-founder Divya Gokulnath makes a case for India's FIFA qualification amid backlash over Messi deal

Edtech company Byju's co-founder Divya Gokulnath has expressed support for India's qualification for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, saying that the nation has a good chance of making it to the tournament's final 48 teams.

In a LinkedIn post, Gokulnath wrote, “Too often we find the label ‘pipe dream’ attached to India’s chances of playing in the FIFA World Cup. I beg to disagree. I am sure India will not only qualify for the World Cup; it will also win it at least once in my lifetime.” She also shared a video by Byju’s which is made on the same lines.

On FIFA's list of nations, India is ranked 106th, just ahead of Sierra Leone and Kosovo and below teams like Cyprus, Mauritania, and Guinea-Bissau.

The FIFA World Cup 2022, which is being held in Qatar, has awarded Byju's the prestigious and lucrative sponsorship deal.

Her post comes at a time when the Bengaluru-based company has come under fire for hiring one of the highest-paid footballers in the world, Lionel Messi, as a brand ambassador shortly after firing 2,500 employees in an effort to increase the edtech company's profitability.

Divya Gokulnath recently spoke to the media about the Messi contract, explaining that the choice to appoint Messi as the global brand ambassador for its "Education For All" social initiative was motivated by a desire to increase the initiative's visibility and reach.

On layoffs, Gokulnath had said, "How much we say and apologise, it is not enough. It would be the last thing that we would want to do but sometimes what Byju and Divya want is not what Byju’s as a company demands.”

"We did it because this would help us move towards our path to profitability by the fourth quarter of this year. Certain steps had to be taken and they were taken," she further added.

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