Goa the game in the state under the new name Goa Football Association. Goa, along with West Bengal and Kerala is the locus of football in India and is home to many football clubs in the national I-League. The state's football powerhouses include Salgaocar, Dempo, Churchill Brothers, Vasco, Sporting Clube de Goa and FC Goa. The first Unity World Cup was held in Goa in 2014. The state's main football stadium, Fatorda Stadium, is located at Margao and also hosts cricket matches. The state hosted few matches of the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Fatorda Stadium. A number of Goans
Mario Soares (footballer) also represented Goa in the Santosh Trophy and captained the state. Soares represented India at the under-23 level during the 1992 Summer Olympics qualifiers. He scored the only goal for India in their draw to Oman U23. He also represented India internationally at senior level. After the departure of Santosh Kashyap from Salgaocar, Soares was put in caretaker charge of the I-League club. Mario Soares (footballer) Mario Soares is a former Indian football player and is the current interim head coach of Indian I-League side Salgaocar. During his playing days, Soares played for Salgaocar, Dempo, Churchill Brothers, and India internationally.