--- title: "Tiger Shroff becomes professional footballer for Mumbay FC in Mumbai; 1-0 win over Bombay Gymkhana" sdDatePublished: "2026-08-10T13:13:00Z" source: "https://www.olympics.com/en/news/tiger-shroff-bollywood-actor-football-career" topics: - name: "sport" identifier: "medtop:15000000" locations: - "Shillong" - "Maharashtra" - "Mumbai" - "India" --- Tiger Shroff becomes professional footballer for Mumbay FC in Mumbai; 1-0 win over Bombay Gymkhana Tiger Shroff’s football career: Bollywood star who pursued his childhood dream Tiger Shroff and the football dream that survived Bollywood stardom Years after choosing acting as his career, the Cristiano Ronaldo fan returned to the sport as a professional player. Tiger Shroff , an acclaimed Bollywood action hero, is a man of many talents. The son of veteran actor Jackie Shroff and film producer Ayesha Dutt, Tiger is known for his action films, dancing and fitness. But before acting became his profession, Tiger wanted to be a footballer . In a 2021 appearance on Arbaaz Khan's celebrity talk show Pinch, Tiger - whose real name is Jai Hemant - spoke about his childhood ambition of playing for the Indian football team . “I was passionate about football ,” said Shroff, a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo . “While I wanted to become a footballer and represent the country, I didn't get a chance.” Shroff made his acting debut with Heropanti in 2014 and went on to star in films including Baaghi , Baaghi 2 , War , Student of the Year 2 , Ganapath and Singham Again . His martial arts training and fitness regime became an important part of his screen image, while he continued to play football away from film sets in celebrity and charity matches. How Tiger Shroff became a professional football player Tiger Shroff's transition from celebrity football to the professional game began with Mumbay FC . Mumbay FC Technical Director Zoheb Khan noticed Shroff during an influencers' league match in 2023. Khan was coaching the All Stars football team at the time, with actors and former sports personalities including Ranbir Kapoor and Mahendra Singh Dhoni featuring for the side. “It was during an influencers league with personalities and former sportspersons in 2023 that I realised that Tiger can play; he has that technical understanding of the game,” Khan told Sportstar. After Mumbay FC was founded in July 2024, Khan invited Shroff to join the club's practice sessions. The actor began training with the team and, according to Khan, soon made it clear that he wanted to take his football beyond celebrity matches. “He likes that slide tackle, those dribbling 1v1 moments. And soon, he said, ‘Let’s play a professional game,’” Khan recalled. Shroff completed his Centralised Registration System (CRS) registration and played in the Mumbai District League, where he was required to go through the same registration process and referee checks as other players. Tiger Shroff made his professional football debut for Mumbay FC in October 2024, in a 1-0 win over Bombay Gymkhana in the Mumbai Premier League - the seventh tier of the Indian domestic football league system. The appearance came less than four months after the club was launched. Shroff's involvement with Mumbay FC has since extended beyond his own playing commitments. Khan noted the actor's presence could bring greater attention to the club and provide Maharashtra's young players with more opportunities to be seen by scouts. “We don’t usually get a platform like this to showcase our talent,” Khan said. The athlete behind Tiger Shroff Tiger Shroff's professional football journey has developed alongside the physical training that has defined his life and acting career. In 2022, he shared a video on his Instagram in which he performed a series of backflips and jumped to touch a fire safety pipe positioned roughly 13 feet above the ground. His physical abilities, however, are only one part of his football profile. Former Mumbay FC head coach Asim Hassan highlighted Shroff's technical qualities in 2024. “If he weren’t an actor, I would already be calling to sign him. He’s that good. His style is unique - he’s right-footed but can cut in like a left-footer, which is rare. He’s got qualities you see in top-level players,” Hassan told RevSportz. At the same time, player-assistant Joe Paul Bence also spoke about Shroff's approach to the game, highlighting his humility, willingness to learn and understanding of football. “He’s fully integrated with the team, and there’s a real give-and-take on the field. He supports us, and we play to his strengths. We all enjoy having him around,” Bence said. Tiger Shroff and the Durand Cup Tiger Shroff's football journey brought him to the Durand Cup 2026, where he could make his tournament debut for Mumbay FC in the club's final Group E match. Mumbay FC began their maiden Durand Cup campaign with a 5-0 defeat to Langsning FC before suffering another 5-0 loss to Shillong Lajong. The results have left the club with no points from its opening two matches, with Nongkseh Sports & Cultural Club next on August 11 in Shillong. The club had earlier indicated that it was working to arrange his participation in one of its matches, subject to logistical and security considerations. The match against Nongkseh could therefore provide Tiger Shroff with another opportunity to pursue the sport he had wanted to play since childhood, this time in one of India's oldest football competitions. Picture by 2025 Getty Images Cristiano Ronaldo’s highest jumps - when Air CR7 defied gravity