For young Bengaluru FC midfielder Soham Varshneya, the journey to turning pro was rather straightforward.
He wanted to do it, so he did it.
“I was like four years old when I saw my cousin and sister play football, and naturally, I got into it as well. Thankfully, my parents supported me throughout. Even when I was young, they used to wake me up at night to watch Champions League games,” Soham recalled to Sportstar in an exclusive chat.
Those long, lively nights helped Soham pledge his allegiance to the Spanish giant FC Barcelona and, of course, a certain short-framed left-footed Argentine.
“He (Lionel Messi) is partly the reason for me being left-footed,” he said.
However, Soham did not just stop at admiration. “Being a Barcelona fan, at around seven or eight, my family and I knew that one day, I have to play in Spain. No matter what.”
And once again, he did it.
Culer among Madristas
Before actually going to Spain, however, Soham faced a slightly ironic conundrum. Despite being presented with academy opportunities in both Barcelona and Madrid, the 21-year-old gingerly admitted that the program in the latter city was a better fit.
“I did think about how I would be going to Madrid as a Barcelona fan. I did end up going to one of the Real Madrid parades when they won the Champions League, which was not nice,” Soham admitted with a smile.
But what the city lacked in fraternity, it made up for in experience. Soham enrolled with the DS Academy (currently Siello Academy) and represented Pozuelo de Alarcón, CDA Navalcarnero and Racing Madrid during his two-year stay in Southwestern Europe.
“I had always thought that everything in Spain was only about keeping the ball. Funnily enough, the first club that I was in, it wasn’t like that at all. It was a lot of playing long balls and then seeing what we can do,” he said.
“And then sometimes I used to play two different systems simultaneously, one in the academy and one for the club. This helped me find different ways to look at a game,” Soham noted.
Bengaluru blues
With Spain checked off the list, Soham’s focus returned to his boyhood club and city, Bengaluru.
Born and bred in blue, choosing BFC to establish a career was a no-brainer for Soham, terming the club as his “first and obvious choice.”
His skill naturally improved as he emerged through a well-oiled academy system, catching eyes with his effortless demeanour on the ball in the lower leagues and tournaments.
“When I was playing in tournaments like RFDL, I was facing the best youngsters in the league, and we were all reserve players who were hungry to get into the senior team,” he said.
His performances won him the BFC ‘B’ Player of the Season award last year and, more importantly, earned him a call-up to the senior team, which was then managed by Gerard Zaragoza.
And while his ISL debut lasted just six minutes, this time around, he has become a frequent face on the pitch, recording two assists in seven appearances.
“I’d say the main difference I felt was physicality. It wasn’t a shock to me. But when you feel it initially, you’re like, ‘Oh, this is a bit different.’ You get less time on the ball as compared to when you’re in the youth system. So you’ve got to adapt a bit quicker and make snap decisions. But I think a few weeks in, you kind of get used to it,” Soham said.
But some of his biggest learnings, he noted, have come off the grass and instead from the dressing room. When asked for specifics, Soham said that one particular piece of advice from the evergreen Sunil Chhetri has stayed with him.
“He (Chhetri) said, ‘whenever we have to defend, listen to what the coach says. But when you’re near the box, do whatever you think is right.’ With Sunil bhai, you always want to listen to what he has to say,” Soham explained.
But not all of Soham’s inspirations have originated in football. During his time in Spain, every so often, when he found the back of the net, one would notice him breaking into a dance move - a celebration influenced by four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry.
“He (Curry) plays the game with a lot of joy, and that’s something I want to bring to my game as well,” Soham said.
“I like to enjoy the game. And for me, scoring a goal is the biggest joy you can get. So I think that’s something definitely worth celebrating, and hopefully I can bring it out in the ISL soon,” he added.
With senior minutes under his belt, Soham is now gunning for a taste of the national team, although he admits that “every aspect” of his game can be improved. But looking at his track record of getting things done, it may not be too long till Soham settles into the spotlight.
Published on May 15, 2026