Football in India

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Football in India

Association football is one of the most popular sports in India.[5][6] The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup was the first FIFA event the country hosted. It was called the most successful FIFA U-17 World Cup ever, with a record-breaking attendance of 1,347,133, exceeding China's record of 1,230,976 from 1985. India also hosted the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and bid to host the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[7]

Quick Facts Country, Governing body ...
Football in India
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CountryIndia
Governing bodyAll India Football Federation (AIFF)
(formed in 1937, joined FIFA in 1948)[1]
National team(s)India Men's
India Women's
India U-23 Men's
India U-20 Men's
India U-20 Women's
India U-17 Men's
India U-17 Women's
India Futsal Men's
Futsal Women's
India Beach soccer Men's
India Esports
Nickname(s)The Blue Tigers/Tigresses
First played1800s
National competitions
List
Club competitions
List
International competitions
List
Audience records
Single match131,781
(1997 Federation Cup Semifinal: East Bengal F.C. VS Mohun Bagan A.C. at Salt Lake Stadium)[4]
Close

The Indian national football team qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup but did not participate.[8]

History

Summarize
Perspective

Pre-independence

British soldiers introduced football into India in the mid-nineteenth century.[9][10] Games were initially played between army teams but clubs were soon set up around the country. In 1872, Calcutta FC was the first football club to be established, though the side may have originated as a rugby club that switched codes as late as 1894. Other early clubs include Dalhousie AC, Traders Club and Naval Volunteers Club.[11] Several other football clubs such as Sovabazar, Mohun Bagan and Aryan Club were established in Calcutta in the 1890s. Calcutta was then the capital of British India and soon became the hub of football. Tournaments like the Gladstone Cup, the Trades Cup and the Cooch Behar Cup were started around this time.[12] The Durand Cup and IFA Shield were both started in the late nineteenth century.

The first Indian team to achieve success was Sovabazar Club, which won the Trades Cup in 1892.[13] Mohun Bagan Athletic Club, which was set up in modern-day West Bengal in 1889, became famous in 1911 when it became the first Indian team to win the IFA Shield, a tournament previously won only by British teams based in India.[14] They defeated East Yorkshire Regiment 2–1 in the tournament's final in a victory that is still regarded as one of the greatest win by an Indian football team before independence.[9]

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Players of Baroda Football Club, an Indian-European team, 1910–11.

The Indian Football Association (IFA) was established in Calcutta in 1893 but had no Indians on its board until the 1930s. The All India Football Federation (AIFF), the national governing body of football in India, was formed in 1937 but did not become affiliated with FIFA until at least a decade later. India insisted on playing barefoot whereas other national sides wore boots.[15] Footballer Jyotish Chandra Guha brought global attention to Indian football when he became the first Indian to appear with the English Football League club Arsenal in 1930.[16]

The golden age

India qualified by default for the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil because all of their scheduled opponents withdrew. India did not compete in the tournament. It was not because of a lack of financial assistance, particularly to purchase tickets for the sea journey, or because the team were not allowed to play barefoot.[15][17] According to sports journalist Jaydeep Basu, the financial barrier was solved as state associations provided financial help to the AIFF and that FIFA also promised to provide money.[8]

FIFA had imposed a rule banning barefoot play following the 1948 Olympics where India had played barefoot. According to then-captain Shailen Manna, this story was circulated to justify the AIFF's decision to not participate. Since 1950, the Indian national team has not come close to qualifying for the World Cup.[17][18][19][20] The AIFF had organised training is Calcutta for the 1950 World Cup and the board organised a series of meetings relating to India's participation but was not able to reach a decision. One to two weeks before the World Cup, the AIFF resorted to coming up with excuses to abandon the World Cup trip. This did not face much criticism in 1948 because the FIFA World Cup was not as popular as it is now.[8]

1951–1962 is widely considered the "golden age" of Indian football. In this period, the national team won numerous titles under the coaching of Syed Abdul Rahim. India won the gold medal in the first Asian Games in 1951, beating Iran by one goal. In 1956, no longer playing barefoot, India reached the semi-final in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, becoming the first Asian country to do so and ranking fourth in the tournament. In 1962, India again won the gold in the Asian Games at Jakarta, defeating South Korea 2–1.[15] India also won the Merdeka Cup and the Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament, while East Bengal garnered good reviews after touring Romania. Also in 1951, India achieved their highest World Football Elo Rating of 31. According to former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, India is "The sleeping giant of world football".[21]

Decline

Rahim's death in the year 1963 on 11th June, caused the Indian national team to gradually lose their position as a top Asian team. India has not qualified for the Olympics since 1960.[15] India qualified for their first Asian Cup in 1964 but failed to win the title.[22][23] In an international tournament at the 1970 Asian Games, India won the bronze medal after defeating Japan 1–0.[24] The Indian national team qualified for the 1984 AFC Asian Cup for the first time since 1964 but failed to qualify for the knockout stage after finishing last in their group of five teams.[25]

The Indian youth team jointly won the Youth Asian Cup with Iran in 1974, the first and only title for India at the youth level.[26][27][28] In club football, on 24 September 1977, Mohun Bagan held onto a 2–2 draw at the Eden Gardens stadium in Calcutta, against a Pelé-led New York Cosmos.[29] Mohun Bagan would have won the tie had it not been for a controversial penalty awarded to the visiting team that ensured the draw.[30] The next day, the newspaper Ananda Bazar Patrika described Goutam Sarkar as "India's very own Beckenbauer".[31]

The Indian women's team as they began playing in the 1970s. In 1975, their first manager was Sushil Bhattacharya.[32] The Indian women's team were runners-up in the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 1980 and 1983. In the 1990s, the women's team rapidly declined and a series of defeats followed. In 2009, FIFA delisted the Indian women's team from the world rankings.[33]

2007–present

In August 2007, the Indian national team won the Nehru Cup for the first time, beating Syria 1–0.[34] In August of the following year, India defeated Tajikistan 4–1 to win the AFC Challenge Cup and qualified for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar.[35] In August 2009, India again won the Nehru Cup, beating Syria on penalties (6–5).[36]

In January 2011, India played in the 2011 Asian Cup, the country's first Asian Cup for 24 years. India was eliminated in the group stage, which included South Korea, Australia, and Bahrain.[37]

Since the 2011 Asian Cup, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has been working to improve Indian football. They allowed former coach Bob Houghton to coach the Indian team in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers.[38] After going first in their AFC Challenge Cup group, Houghton was replaced by Wim Koevermans.[39] The India national under-23 football team won the first round of the 2012 Olympics qualifiers against Myanmar but were eliminated by Qatar.[40] India played their next official matches against United Arab Emirates in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which India lost on aggregate 5–2.[41]

In 2014, India hosted the first Unity World Cup in Goa, Hyderabad and Bangalore. India has participated in and hosted the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup tournament. This was the first time a team representing India participated in the finals of a FIFA-organised world tournament. India was placed in Group A along with the United States, Ghana and Colombia.[42] On 6 October 2017, India played their first match in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in front of 47,000 people against the United States, losing the match 0–3.[43] India played their second match against Colombia. In the 82nd minute, Jeakson Singh became the first Indian goal scorer in the finals of a FIFA-organised tournament.[44] For the third match of the group stage, India played Ghana, losing the match 4–0 and finishing at the bottom of Group A.[45]

In 2018 Indian youth football teams made history by defeating Argentina U-20 2–1 in the COTIF cup, as well as Iraq U-16, the defending champions of the AFC U-16 Championship (now the AFC U-17 Championship), by 1–0. The U-16 team qualified for the 2018 AFC U-16 Championship, where they came close to qualifying for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup, but lost to South Korea by a single goal in the quarterfinal.[46]

The Indian national team qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup after missing the 2015 edition. India beat Thailand by 4–1, their biggest-ever win at the Asia Cup and their first win in 55 years.[47][48] Nevertheless, they lost both of their next two group matches against UAE and Bahrain by 0−2 and 0−1 respectively[49][50] and finished at the bottom of the group, thus failing to move to the knockout stage.[51]

Administration

Football in India is administered by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which is affiliated with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the worldwide football governing body FIFA.[52][53][54] The India national football team has entered the regional Asian Cup competition but has never competed in a World Cup. The India women's national football team has also played in competitions, and has its own inter-state and state competitions. Youth football is administered by the Sports Authority of India.

National team

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Perspective

The India national football team is governed by the AIFF and is a member of the Asian Football Confederation. Since 1948, the AIFF has been affiliated with FIFA, the international governing body for world football. In 1954, the AIFF became one of the founding members of the AFC.[52][53][55] There are other Indian national teams, such as the under-23 team and the under-17 team.

The following list includes the performance of all of India's national teams at major competitions.

Men's senior team

The Indian senior national team had several successes during their initial years, but is no longer considered one of the best in Asia.[56] The national team's highest achievement is winning two gold medals at the Asian Games.

More information Tournament, Appearance in finals ...
Tournament Appearance in finals Last
appearance
Best
performance
FIFA World Cup0 out of 22[57]
AFC Asian Cup1 out of 182023Runners-up (1964)
Summer Olympics01960Fourth-place (1956)
Asian Games21998Champions (1951, 1962)
SAFF Championship132023Champions (1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023)
South Asian Games41999Champions (1985, 1987, 1995)
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    Women's senior team

    The women's national team was started in the 1970s; they were twice runners-up in the Women's Asian Cup in the early 1980s. After the AIFF took charge of the team, they began to suffer massive defeats and declined in the late 2000s.[58] In the late 2010s, the AIFF revived the team to empower women's football.[59] The AIFF won the hosting bid for the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup.

    More information Tournament, Appearance in finals ...
    Tournament Appearance in finals Last
    appearance
    Best
    performance
    AFC Women's Asian Cup2;2022Runners-up (1980, 1983)
    Asian Games02022Eighth-place (1998)
    SAFF Women's Championship52024Champions (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019)
    South Asian Games3 out of 32019Champions (2010, 2016, 2019)
    Close

    Men's U-23 team

    More information Tournament, Appearance in finals ...
    Tournament Appearance in finals Last
    appearance
    Best
    performance
    Asian Games02022Ninth-place (2022)
    South Asian Games22016Runners-up (2004, 2016)
    Close

    Men's U-20 team

    Includes U-19 and U-18 teams' performance.

    More information Tournament, Appearance in finals ...
    Tournament Appearance in finals Last
    appearance
    Best
    performance
    AFC U-20 Asian Cup12006Champions (1974)
    SAFF U-20 Championship42024Champions (2019, 2022, 2023)
    Close

    Men's U-17 team

    Includes U-16 and U-15 teams' performance.

    More information Tournament, Finals appearance ...
    Tournament Finals
    appearance
    Last
    appearance
    Best
    performance
    FIFA U-17 World Cup12017Group stage (2017)
    AFC U-17 Asian Cup32023Quarterfinals (2002, 2018)
    SAFF U-17 Championship82024Champions (2013, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2024)
    Close

    Women's U-20 team

    Includes U-19 and U-18 teams' performance.

    More information Tournament, Finals appearance ...
    Tournament Finals
    appearance
    Last
    appearance
    Best
    performance
    AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup22006Quarterfinals (2004)
    SAFF U-20 Women's Championship32024Champions (2022, 2024)
    Close

    Women's U-17 team

    Includes U-16 and U-15 teams' performance.

    More information Tournament, Finals appearance ...
    Tournament Finals
    appearance
    Last
    appearance
    Best
    performance
    FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup12022Group stage (2022)
    AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup12005Group stage (2005)
    SAFF U-17 Women's Championship42024Champions (2018, 2019)
    Close

    State federations and leagues

    Summarize
    Perspective

    There are currently 36 state associations and 2 affiliates associations with the All India Football Federation.[60]

    Full members

    More information No., Association ...
    No.AssociationState/UT President
    1All Manipur Football AssociationManipur M. Ratan Kumar Singh
    2Andaman and Nicobar Football AssociationAndaman and Nicobar Islands Vidya Prakash Krishna
    3Andhra Pradesh Football AssociationAndhra Pradesh Gopalakrishna Kosaraju
    4Arunachal Pradesh Football AssociationArunachal Pradesh Pema Khandu
    5Assam Football AssociationAssam Naba Kumar Doley
    6Bihar Football AssociationBihar Prasenjeet Mehta
    7Chandigarh Football AssociationChandigarh K. P. Singh
    8Chhattisgarh Football AssociationChhattisgarh Ajay Chandrakar
    9Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Football AssociationDadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu
    10Football Association of OdishaOdisha Debashish Samantaray
    11Football DelhiDelhi Saraftullah (acting)
    12Goa Football AssociationGoa Caitano Fernandes
    13Gujarat State Football AssociationGujarat Parimal Nathwani
    14Haryana Football AssociationHaryana Suraj Pal
    15Himachal Pradesh Football AssociationHimachal Pradesh Baldev Singh Tomar
    16Indian Football AssociationWest Bengal Ajit Banerjee
    17Jammu and Kashmir Football AssociationJammu and Kashmir Wasim Aslam
    18Jharkhand Football AssociationJharkhand Mithlesh Kumar Thakur
    19Karnataka State Football AssociationKarnataka N. A. Haris
    20Kerala Football AssociationKerala Tom Jose
    21Ladakh Football AssociationLadakh Tashi Namgail
    22Lakshadweep Football AssociationLakshadweep K. Mohammed Ali
    23Madhya Pradesh Football AssociationMadhya Pradesh Trilok Chand Kochar
    24Meghalaya Football AssociationMeghalaya Larsing Ming Sawyan
    25Mizoram Football AssociationMizoram Lal Thanzara
    26Nagaland Football AssociationNagaland Neibou Sekhose
    27Pondicherry Football AssociationPuducherry D. Nestor
    28Punjab Football AssociationPunjab Samir Thapar
    29Rajasthan Football AssociationRajasthan Manvendra Singh
    30Sikkim Football AssociationSikkim Menla Ethenpa
    31Tamil Nadu Football AssociationTamil Nadu Jesiah Villavarayar
    32Telangana Football AssociationTelangana Mohammed Ali Rafath
    33Tripura Football AssociationTripura Ratan Saha
    34Uttar Pradesh Football SanghUttar Pradesh Arvind Menon
    35Uttarakhand State Football AssociationUttarakhand Amandeep Sandhu
    36Western India Football AssociationMaharashtra Praful Patel
    Close

    Affiliate members

    More information No., Association ...
    Close

    State Leagues list

    Football in modern India

    Summarize
    Perspective

    International football

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    Chhetri is the highest goal scorer in india and ranked 5th in men's international Football

    International football in India generally takes place between September and November for Men's according to FIFA Men's International Match Calendar (2023-2030)[61] and between February-July and October-December for Women's according to FIFA Women's International Match Calendar (2023-2025).[62] Football in India is managed by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).The Indian national football team has also provided some of the greatest players to the world, the biggest example of which is Sunil Chhetri. Indian football has a rich history. The Indian men's national team is currently ranked 124 (as of 18 July 2024) in FIFA Men's World Ranking and Women's national team is currently ranked 67 (as of 14 June 2024) in FIFA Women's World Ranking.

    Domestic football

    Men's Domestic Football

    State competitions

    Champions overview

    More information State competition, Tournament ...
    Close

    Women's domestic football

    Champions overview

    The competitions currently active in Indian football in the 2023–24 season.

    More information State competition, Tournament ...
    Close
    More information Club competition, Tournament ...
    Club competition
    Tournament Current champions
    Indian Women's League Odisha
    Indian Women's League 2 Sreebhumi
    Close

    Evolution of the football system

    More information Level, Years ...
    Men's
    Level Years
    1888–1893 1893–1898 1898–1941 1941–1977 1977–1996 1996–1997 1997–2001 2001–2006 2006–2007 2007–2011 2011–2014 2014–2017 2017–2022 2022–2023 2023–present
    1893 1937
    National leagues 1 None Formation of Indian Football Association (IFA) Calcutta Football League Formation of All India Football Federation (AIFF) Santosh Trophy National Football League I-League Indian Super League Indian Super League
    I-League
    2 None None NFL Second Division I-League 2nd Division I-League
    3 None NFL Third Division Discontinued I-League 2
    4 None I-League 3
    Regional leagues 5–11 State leagues
    Cup competitions Durand Cup
    Federation Cup Super Cup
    Indian Super Cup Discontinued
    Close
    More information Level, Years ...
    Women's
    Level Years
    1937 1991–2016 2016–2023 2023-present
    National leagues 1 Formation of
    All India Football Federation (AIFF)
    Senior Women's National Football Championship Indian Women's League
    2 None Indian Women's League 2
    Regional leagues 3– State leagues
    Close

    Qualification for Asian competitions

    More information Competition, Qualifying team ...
    Competition Qualifying team Notes
    AFC Champions League Two Premiers of Indian Super LeagueQualification to the Group stage
    AFC Champions League Two Winners of Super CupQualification to the Qualifying play-off
    AFC Women's Champions League Champions of Indian Women's LeagueQualification to the Preliminary stage
    Close

    Stadiums

    Summarize
    Perspective

    As of 2023, few of India's national football stadiums meet current world standards. The largest football stadiums in India are the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata with a seating capacity of 68,000 and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi with a capacity of over 60,000. The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack and Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar are major arenas for football events in Odisha. In Sikkim, the 30,000-capacity Paljor Stadium in Gangtok is famous as one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world because of its backdrop of the Himalayas. The main stadium in Shillong is the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium with a capacity of 30,000 standing. Both the Paljor and the JLN in Shillong have been renovated with artificial playing surfaces. Some other important stadiums are the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, Barasat Stadium in Barasat, the Fatorda Stadium in Goa, the Kaloor International Stadium in Kochi, the Municipal Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Guwahati and the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad. There are hundreds of other stadiums in the country. The following stadiums are affiliated by All India Football Federation.[81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91]

    Note.denotes stadiums that have hosted international football matches.

    International competitions hosted

    Summarize
    Perspective
    Competition Edition Winner Final Runners-up India's position Venues Final venue Stadium
    Men's senior competitions
    Asian Games Football at the 1951 Asian Games  India
    1 – 0
     Iran Champions 1 (in 1 city) Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium Thumb
    Asian Games Football at the 1982 Asian Games  Iraq
    1 – 0
     Kuwait Quarterfinals 3 (in 1 cities) Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Delhi) Thumb
    AFC Challenge Cup 2008 AFC Challenge Cup  India  Tajikistan Champions 3 (in 2 cities) Ambedkar Stadium Thumb
    SAFF Championship 1999 South Asian Football Federation Gold Cup  India
    2 – 0
     Bangladesh Champions 1 ( in 1 city) Fatorda Stadium Thumb
    SAFF Championship 2011 SAFF Championship  India  Afghanistan Champions 1 (in 1 city) Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Delhi) Thumb
    SAFF Championship 2015 SAFF Championship  India  Afghanistan Champions 1 (in 1 city) Greenfield International Stadium Thumb
    SAFF Championship 2023 SAFF Championship  India
    (5 – 4 pen.)
     Kuwait Champions 1 (in 1 city) Sree Kanteerava Stadium Thumb
    Men's youth competitions
    FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup  England
    5 – 2
     Spain Group stage 6 (in 6 cities) Salt Lake Stadium Thumb
    AFC U-19 Championship 2006 AFC Youth Championship  North Korea
    1 – 1
    (5 – 3 pen.)
     Japan Group stage 4 (in 2 cities) Salt Lake Stadium Thumb
    AFC U-16 Championship 2016 AFC U-16 Championship  Iraq
    0 – 0
    (4 – 3 pen.)
     Iran Group stage 2 (in 2 cities) Fatorda Stadium Thumb
    SAFF U-15 Championship 2019 SAFF U-15 Championship  India
    7 – 0
       Nepal Champions 1 (in 1 city) Kalyani Stadium Thumb
    SAFF U-20 Championship 2022 SAFF U-20 Championship  India
    5 – 2 (a.e.t)
     Bangladesh Champions 1 (in 1 city) Kalinga Stadium Thumb
    Women's senior competitions
    AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup  China
    3 – 2
     South Korea Withdrew (due to Covid-19 breakout) 3 (in 3 cities) DY Patil Stadium Thumb
    SAFF Women's Championship 2016 SAFF Women's Championship  India
    3 – 1
     Bangladesh Champions 1 (in 1 city) Kanchenjunga Stadium Thumb
    Women's youth competitions
    FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup  Spain
    1 – 0
     Colombia Group stage 3 (in 3 cities) DY Patil Stadium Thumb

    Nehru Cup

    The Nehru Cup was an international invitational association football tournament organised by the AIFF and named after the First Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru.[92]

    More information Editions, Winners ...
    Editions Winners
    1982  Uruguay
    1983  Hungary
    1984  Poland
    1985  Soviet Union
    1986  Soviet Union
    1987 Soviet Union Soviet Union
    1988 Soviet Union Soviet Union
    1989  Hungary
    1991  Romania
    1993  North Korea
    1995  Iraq
    1997  Iraq
    2007  India
    2009  India
    2012  India
    Close

    Tri-Nation Series

    The Tri-Nation Series is a three-team football tournament organised by the AIFF. The first edition was held in 2017.[93]

    More information Editions, Winners ...
    Editions Winners
    2017  India
    2023  India
    Close

    Intercontinental Cup

    The Intercontinental Cup is a four-team association football tournament organised by the AIFF. The first edition was held in 2018.[94]

    More information Editions, Winners ...
    Editions Winners
    2018  India
    2019  North Korea
    2023  India
    2024  Syria
    Close

    Gold Cup (India)

    The Gold Cup is a 4-team women's [association football tournament organised by the AIFF.[95] It was launched in 2019 with the first edition being held at the Kalinga Stadium in association with the Government of Odisha.[96] The tournament naming rights were purchased by Hero MotoCorp which also sponsors the national team.[97][98]

    More information Editions, Winners ...
    Editions Winners
    2019  Myanmar
    Close

    Performance in international competitions

    Summarize
    Perspective

    Men's team

    A red box around the year indicates tournaments played within India

    FIFA World Cup

    India has never played in the finals of the FIFA World Cup.[8] After gaining independence in 1947, India managed to qualify for the World Cup held in 1950.[99] This was due to Myanmar, Indonesia, and the Philippines withdrawing from qualification round.[8] However, prior to the start of the tournament, India withdrew due to the expenses required in getting the team to Brazil.[8] But this reason was untrue because FIFA was ready to give money to India (AIFF) for their trip to Brazil.[100] Other reasons cited for why India withdrew include FIFA not allowing Indian players to play in the tournament barefoot and the All India Football Federation not considering the FIFA World Cup an important tournament compared to the Olympics.[101][8][102]

    After withdrawing from the 1950 FIFA World Cup, India did not enter the qualifying rounds of the tournament between 1954 and 1982.[103] Since the 1986 qualifiers, with the exception of the 1990 edition of the tournament, the team participated in World Cup qualification, but has yet to qualify for the finals again.[103]

    More information FIFA World Cup record, Qualification record ...
    FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
    Year Round Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pos Pld W D L GF GA Ref.
    Uruguay 1930
    to
    France 1938
    Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
    Brazil 1950 Qualified, withdrew Qualified by default[104]
    Switzerland 1954 Denied by FIFA Denied by FIFA[105]
    Sweden 1958
    to
    Spain 1982
    Did not enter Did not enter
    Mexico 1986 Did not qualify 6 2 3 1 7 6 [106]
    Italy 1990 Withdrew from qualification[107]
    United States 1994 8 1 1 6 8 22 [108]
    France 1998 3 1 1 1 3 7 [109]
    South Korea Japan 2002 6 3 2 1 11 5 [110]
    Germany 2006 6 1 1 4 2 18 [111]
    South Africa 2010 2 0 1 1 3 6 [112]
    Brazil 2014 2 0 1 1 2 5 [113]
    Russia 2018 8 2 1 7 7 18 [114]
    Qatar 2022 8 1 4 3 6 7 [115]
    Canada Mexico United States 2026 6 1 2 3 3 7
    Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
    Saudi Arabia 2034
    Total 0/20 0 0 0 0 0 0 57 12 17 28 52 101
    Close

    AFC Asian Cup

    Thumb
    Indian players celebrating with fans after winning a match at 2019 AFC Asian Cup

    India has qualified for the AFC Asian Cup five times. The team played their first Asian Cup in 1964. The team managed to qualify following other nations' refusal to play against India due to political reasons.[22][23] India managed to finish the tournament as runners-up to hosts Israel, with Inder Singh finishing as joint top-scorer.[23] Since then, India has failed to progress beyond the first round of the Asian Cup, with their participation at the 1984[116] and 2011 Asian Cups,[117] and most recently the 2019 Asian Cup.[51]

    In June 2022, India qualified for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup after winning all the matches in the third round of 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification. This is the first time ever India qualified consecutively for the continental championship.

    More information AFC Asian Cup record, Qualification record ...
    AFC Asian Cup record Qualification record
    Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA Ref.
    Hong Kong 1956Did not enterDid not enter
    South Korea 1960Did not qualify620479[118]
    Israel 1964Runners-up2nd320153SquadQualified by default[119]
    Iran 1968Did not qualify301226[120]
    Thailand 1972Did not enterDid not enter[121]
    Iran 1976[122]
    Kuwait 1980[123]
    Singapore 1984Group stage10th401307Squad430182[124]
    Qatar 1988Did not qualify 501406[125]
    Japan 1992 210123[126]
    United Arab Emirates 1996 2002312[127]
    Lebanon 2000 411289[128]
    China 2004 201113[129]
    Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 2007 6006224[130]
    Qatar 2011Group stage16th3003313SquadAFC Challenge Cup[131]
    Australia 2015Did not qualify[132]
    United Arab Emirates 2019Group stage17th310244Squad188282524[133]
    Qatar 2023Group stage24th300306Squad11443148[134]
    Saudi Arabia 2027 To be determined612337
    Total Runners-up 2nd 16 3 1 12 12 33 69 20 13 36 76 113
    Close

    Summer Olympics

    Thumb
    Talimeren Ao on the left, leading the Indian team to Cricklefield Stadium to play against France in 1948

    India competed in four straight Olympic football tournaments between 1948 and 1960.[135] Their sole 1948 Olympics match against France was also India's first ever international match since the country gained independence in 1947. During the match, a majority of the Indian side played barefoot. The match ended in a 2–1 defeat, with Sarangapani Raman scoring the lone goal for India. India then returned to the Olympics four years later where they took on Yugoslavia in the preliminary rounds. The team suffered a 10–1 defeat, India's largest margin of defeat in a competitive match, and were knocked out.[136]

    Four years later, during the 1956 Olympics, India managed to reach the semi-finals and finish fourth. After India's first round opponents, Hungary, withdrew from the tournament, the team played against hosts Australia in the quarter-finals. A Neville D'Souza hat-trick, the first by an Asian footballer in the Olympics, helped India win 4–2.[137] However, in the semi-finals, India once again suffered defeat against Yugoslavia, going down 4–1. In the bronze medal match, India were defeated 3–0 by Bulgaria.[137]

    In 1960, India competed in Group D with Hungary, France and Peru. India ended the group in last place, drawing once.[138] India have since failed to qualify for another Olympic games.

    More information Summer Olympics record, Qualification record ...
    Summer Olympics record Qualification record
    Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA Ref.
    United Kingdom 1908 to Germany 1936 Did not enter Did not enter
    United Kingdom 1948 Round 1 11th 1 0 0 1 1 2 Squad Qualified automatically [139]
    Finland 1952 Preliminaries 25th 1 0 0 1 1 10 Squad Qualified automatically [140]
    Australia 1956 Semi-finals 4th 3 1 0 2 5 9 Squad Bye [141]
    Italy 1960 Round 1 13th 3 0 1 2 3 6 Squad 3 3 0 0 11 4 [142]
    Japan 1964 to South Korea 1988 Did not qualify 20 6 1 13 34 38
    Spain 1992–present See India national U-23 team See India national U-23 team
    Totals Semi-finals 4th 8 1 1 6 10 27 23 9 1 13 45 42
    Close

    Asian Games

    Thumb
    Indian team celebrating after defeating South Korea in the final of 1962 Asiad at Senayan Main Stadium, Jakarta

    India competed in eleven Asian Games, starting from 1951 to 1998, except the 1990 and 1994 editions.[143] In 1951 Asian Games India won their first match against Indonesia in the first round and then defeated Japan in semi-final and went on to win against Iran in the final in front of the home crowd. The achievement of the Indian team was a special one as they became the first ever Asian Games gold medalists in football.[144]

    Though the next two tournaments proved to be less successful for the team, they bounced back by winning gold at the 1962 Asian games by defeating the Asian Cup winners South Korea. The team failed to defend their title in 1966 and went on to claim the bronze medal in 1970.[24]

    This was the last time India ever finished on the medal podium, the next years proved to be hard to regain their dominance as the side went through a sharp decline.[145] The team made their return in 1998.

    More information Asian Games record, Year ...
    Asian Games record
    Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Ref.
    India 1951 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 7 0 Squad [146]
    Philippines 1954 Round 1 8th 2 1 0 1 3 6 Squad [147]
    Japan 1958 Semi-finals 4th 5 2 0 3 12 13 Squad [148]
    Indonesia 1962 Champions 1st 5 4 0 1 11 6 Squad [149]
    Thailand 1966 Round 1 8th 3 1 0 2 4 7 Squad [150]
    Thailand 1970 Third place 3rd 6 3 1 2 8 5 Squad [151]
    Iran 1974 Round 1 13th 3 0 0 3 2 14 Squad [152]
    Thailand 1978 Round 2 8th 5 1 0 4 5 13 Squad [153]
    India 1982 Quarter-finals 6th 4 2 1 1 5 3 Squad [154]
    South Korea 1986 Round 1 16th 3 0 0 3 1 8 Squad [155]
    China 1990 Did not enter
    Japan 1994
    Thailand 1998 Round 2 16th 5 1 0 4 3 8 Squad [156]
    South Korea 2002–present See India national U-23 team
    Totals 2 titles 1st 44 18 2 24 61 83
    Close

    SAFF Championship

    India has been the most successful team in the competition, winning overall eight titles.[157] The team played in the knockout stage of every tournament except in 1993, when the tournament was in a league format.[158] The team also boasts a prestigious record of claiming medal at every championship played so far.[159] India has played in the final of every championship except the 2003, tournament where they claimed bronze medal.[160]

    More information SAFF Championship record, Year ...
    SAFF Championship record
    Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Ref.
    Pakistan 1993Champions1st321041[161]
    Sri Lanka 1995Runners-up2nd302123Squad[162]
    Nepal 1997Champions1st4310123[163]
    India 1999Champions1st431061Squad[164]
    Bangladesh 2003Third place3rd521285Squad[165]
    Pakistan 2005Champions1st541092Squad[166]
    Maldives Sri Lanka 2008Runners-up2nd540193Squad[167]
    India 2011Champions1st5410162Squad[168]
    Nepal 2013Runners-up2nd521245Squad[169]
    India 2015Champions1st4400114Squad[170]
    Bangladesh 2018Runners-up2nd430183Squad[171]
    Maldives 2021Champions1st532082Squad[172]
    India 2023Champions1st523082Squad[173]
    Total 8 titles 1st 57 36 14 7 105 36
    Close

    South Asian Games

    India has participated in every edition of senior football at the South Asian Games, except in 1984. The team emerged as champions in 1985, 1987, and 1995. They also took home silver in 1993, and bronze medals in 1989 and 1995.[174]

    More information South Asian Games record, Year ...
    South Asian Games record
    Year Result Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Ref.
    Nepal 1984 Did not enter
    Bangladesh 1985 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 6 1 [175]
    India 1987 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 6 0 [176]
    Pakistan 1989 Third place 3rd 3 2 1 0 5 3 [177]
    Sri Lanka 1991 Group stage 6th 2 0 1 1 1 2 [178]
    Bangladesh 1993 Runners-up 2nd 3 1 2 0 6 4 [179]
    India 1995 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 5 0 [180]
    Nepal 1999 Third place 3rd 5 4 0 1 15 4 [181]
    Pakistan 2004–present See India national U-20 team & India national U-23 team
    Totals 3 titles 1st 22 14 6 2 44 14
    Close

    Other/defunct tournaments

    More information Nehru Cup, AFC Challenge Cup ...
    Nehru Cup AFC Challenge Cup Tri-Nation Series Intercontinental Cup
    Close

    Women's team

    FIFA Women's World Cup

    More information FIFA Women's World Cup record, Year ...
    FIFA Women's World Cup record
    Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA GD
    China 1991Did not enter
    Sweden 1995
    United States 1999Did not qualify
    United States 2003
    China 2007
    Germany 2011Did not enter
    Canada 2015Did not qualify
    France 2019
    AustraliaNew Zealand 2023Withdrew from qualification
    Brazil 2027To be determined
    Total0/9--------
    Close
    *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

    Olympic Games

    More information Summer Olympics record, Year ...
    Summer Olympics record
    Year Round GP W D L GF GA GD
    United States 1996
    to Greece 2004
    Did not enter
    China 2008Did not qualify
    United Kingdom 2012
    Brazil 2016
    Japan 2020
    France 2024
    United States 2028To be determined
    Australia 2032
    Total0/80000000
    Close

    AFC Women's Asian Cup

    More information AFC Women's Asian Cup record, Year ...
    Close
    *Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
    At 1979 AFC Asia Cup India placed two teams, India Senior (India S) and India Novice (India N), in other version called as India North and India South.

    Asian Games

    More information Asian Games record, Year ...
    Close
    • DNQ: did not qualify
    Bold positions show best finish in the tournaments.

    SAFF Women's Championship

    India has won the SAFF Women's Championship five times in a row.[183]

    More information SAFF Women's Championship record, Year ...
    SAFF Women's Championship record
    Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA GD
    Bangladesh 2010 Winners 1st place, gold medalist(s)5500400+40
    Sri Lanka 2012 Winners 1st place, gold medalist(s)5500331+32
    Pakistan 2014 Winners 1st place, gold medalist(s)5500361+35
    India 2016 Winners 1st place, gold medalist(s)4310113+8
    Nepal 2019 Winners 1st place, gold medalist(s)4400181+17
    Nepal 2022 Semi-final 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)4202124+8
    Nepal 2024 TBD TBD0000000
    Total6/65 titles27241215010+140
    Close

    South Asian Games

    India has won the South Asian Games three times.

    More information South Asian Games record, Year ...
    South Asian Games record
    Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA GD
    Bangladesh 2010 Winners 1st place, gold medalist(s)5500292+27
    India 2016 Winners 1st place, gold medalist(s)5320141+13
    Nepal 2019 Winners 1st place, gold medalist(s)4400140+14
    Total 3/3 3 titles 14 12 2 0 57 3 +54
    Close

    Red border indicates, India had hosted the games.

    Other tournaments

    More information Other Tournaments, Gold Cup ...
    Other Tournaments
    Gold Cup Turkish Women's Cup Torneio Internacional de Futebol Feminino
    Close

    Football broadcast in India

    Summarize
    Perspective

    Domestic competitions

    List of current broadcasters:

    More information Competition, Television rights ...
    Competition Television rights Streaming rights Ref.
    Conglomerate Channel(s) Conglomerate Platform
    Santosh Trophy
    None
    FIFA FIFA+ [185]
    Senior Women's NFC
    None
    SportsKPI YouTube channel [186]
    National Beach Soccer Championship
    None
    Indian Football YouTube channel [187]
    Close

    Domestic club football

    List of current broadcasters:

    More information Competition, Television rights ...
    Competition Television rights Streaming rights Ref.
    Conglomerate Channel(s) Conglomerate Platform
    Indian Super League Viacom18 Sports18 Viacom18 JioCinema [188]
    I-League SPNI Sony Sports
    None
    I-League 2
    None
    Indian Football YouTube channel [189]
    I-League 3
    None
    [190]
    Indian Women's League
    None
    [191]
    IWL 2nd Division
    None
    Super Cup
    None
    Viacom18 JioCinema [192]
    Super League Kerala Disney India Star Sports Disney India Disney+ Hotstar
    Durand Cup SPNI Sony Sports SPNI SonyLIV [193]
    Futsal Club Championship
    None
    Indian Football YouTube channel [194]
    Close

    International competitions

    List of current broadcasters:

    More information Competition, Television rights ...
    Competition Television rights Streaming rights Ref.
    Conglomerate Channel(s) Conglomerate Platform
    Intercontinental Cup Viacom18 Sports18 Viacom18 JioCinema [195]
    Tri-Nation Series Disney India Star Sports Disney India Disney+ Hotstar [196]
    Close

    International club football

    List of current broadcasters:

    More information Country(or) Confederation, Competition ...
    Country
    (or)
    Confederation
    Competition Television rights Streaming rights Ref.
    Conglomerate Channel(s) Conglomerate Platform
    FIFA FIFA Club World Cup WBD India Eurosport India Dream Sports FanCode [197]
    FIFA Intercontinental Cup None FIFA FIFA+
    UEFA UEFA Champions League SPNI Sony Sports SPNI SonyLIV [198]
    UEFA Europa League
    UEFA Europa Conference League
    UEFA Super Cup
    UEFA Women's Champions League None DAZN Group DAZN [199]
    DAZN Women's Football YouTube channel
    England Premier League JioStar Star Sports JioStar Disney+ Hotstar [200]
    FA Cup SPNI Sony Sports SPNI SonyLIV [201]
    FA Community Shield [202]
    EFL Cup None Dream Sports FanCode [203][204]
    EFL Championship
    EFL League One
    EFL League Two
    Women's Super League [205]
    France Ligue 1 None Galaxy Racer GXR website [206]
    Ligue 2 [207]
    Coupe de France None DAZN [208]
    Trophée des Champions None Galaxy Racer GXR website
    Germany Bundesliga SPNI Sony Sports SPNI SonyLIV [209]
    DFB Pokal None Dream Sports FanCode
    German Football YouTube channel
    DFL-Supercup SPNI Sony Sports SPNI SonyLIV [210]
    Italy Serie A None None Galaxy Racer GXR Website [211]
    Coppa Italia [212]
    Supercoppa Italiana
    Netherlands Eredivisie WBD India Eurosport India WBD India Discovery+ [213]
    Scotland Scottish Premiership Viacom18 Sports18 Viacom18 JioCinema
    Scottish League Cup
    Scottish Championship
    Spain La Liga None Galaxy Racer GXR website [214]
    Segunda Division [215]
    Copa del Rey None Dream Sports FanCode [216]
    Supercopa de España [216]
    Liga F None DAZN Group DAZN [217]
    DAZN Women's Football YouTube channel
    AFC AFC Champions League Elite Viacom18 Sports18 Dream Sports FanCode
    AFC Champions League Two
    AFC Women's Champions League
    China Chinese Super League None Dream Sports FanCode [218]
    Japan J1 League [219]
    Australia A League
    Saudi Arabia Saudi Pro League SPNI Sony Sports SPNI SonyLIV [220]
    King Cup [221]
    Saudi Super Cup [222]
    CONCACAF CONCACAF Champions Cup None Dream Sports FanCode
    Leagues Cup None Apple Apple TV+
    (MLS Season Pass)
    [223]
    United States Major League Soccer [224]
    US Open Cup SPNI Sony Sports SPNI SonyLIV [225]
    Close

    International football

    List of current broadcasters:

    More information Federation(or) Confederation, Competition ...
    Federation
    (or)
    Confederation
    Competition Television Rights Streaming Rights Ref.
    Conglomerate Channel(s) Conglomerate Platform
    FIFA FIFA World Cup Viacom18 Sports18 & MTV Viacom18 JioCinema [226][227]
    Reliance Jio TV
    FIFA U-20 World Cup None FIFA FIFA+ [228]
    FIFA U-17 World Cup None Dream Sports FanCode [229]
    FIFA Women's World Cup Prasar Bharati DD Sports Dream Sports FanCode [230]
    FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Viacom18 Sports18 Viacom18 Voot [231]
    FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Reliance Jio TV [232]
    AFC AFC Asian Cup Viacom18 Sports18 Viacom18 JioCinema [citation needed]
    AFC Asian Cup qualifiers SPNI/ Viacom18 Sony Sports/ Sports18 SPNI/ Viacom18 SonyLIV/ JioCinema [233][a]
    FIFA World Cup Qualifiers – AFC None Dream Sports FanCode
    AFC U-23 Asian Cup [236]
    AFC U-20 Asian Cup None Reliance Jio TV [237]
    AFC U-17 Asian Cup [238]
    AFC Women's Asian Cup WBD India Eurosport WBD India Discovery+ [239]
    Reliance Jio TV
    AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup None Dream Sports FanCode [236]
    AFC U-17 Women's Asian Cup [236]
    SAFF SAFF Championship Prasar Bharati DD Sports Dream Sports FanCode [240][241]
    SAFF U-20 Championship None Sportzworkz YouTube channel [242]
    SAFF U-17 Championship [243]
    SAFF Women's Championship Website of Eleven Sports [244]
    SAFF U-20 Women's Championship Sportzworkz YouTube channel [245]
    SAFF U-17 Women's Championship [246]
    UEFA UEFA Euro SPNI Sony Sports SPNI SonyLIV [247]
    UEFA Nations League
    UEFA Euro Qualifiers
    FIFA World Cup Qualifiers – UEFA [248]
    UEFA Women's Euro [249]
    CONMEBOL Copa América None Dream Sports FanCode
    FIFA World Cup Qualifiers – CONMEBOL [250]
    CAF Africa Cup of Nations None Dream Sports FanCode [216]
    FIFA World Cup Qualifiers – CAF [251]
    CONCACAF CONCACAF Gold Cup None VUSport [252]
    FIFA World Cup Qualifiers – CONCACAF None Dream Sports FanCode [253]
    Close
    1. Home matches of FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers were broadcast by Sports18 and JioCinema.[234][235]

    Clubs on social media

    The Kerala Blasters ranked fifth most popular Asian club on social media as of 31 October 2018.[254] Note that the Chinese football clubs Guangzhou FC, Shandong Taishan, Beijing Guoan, the Tianjin Jinmen Tiger and Shanghai Shenhua ranked above the Kerala Blasters with millions of followers on Weibo.[255]

    More information #, Country ...
    #Football clubCountryFollowers
    1PersibIndonesia15.4 million
    2Al-HilalSaudi Arabia11.3 million
    3Al-IttihadSaudi Arabia4.6 million
    4PersijaIndonesia4.2 million
    5Kerala BlastersIndia3.6 million
    Close

    Seasons

    The following articles detail the major results and events in each season of Indian football since 2011.

    2010s: 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20
    2020s: 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25

    National Sports Award recipients

    More information Year, Recipient ...
    Year Recipient Award Gender
    2021 Sunil Chhetri Major Dhyan Chand Khel RatnaMale
    1961 P. K. Banerjee Arjuna AwardMale
    1962 Tulsidas Balaram Arjuna AwardMale
    1963 Chuni Goswami Arjuna AwardMale
    1964 Jarnail Singh Arjuna AwardMale
    1965 Arun Ghosh Arjuna AwardMale
    1966 Yousuf Khan Arjuna AwardMale
    1967 Peter Thangaraj Arjuna AwardMale
    1969 Inder Singh Arjuna AwardMale
    1970 Syed Nayeemuddin Arjuna AwardMale
    1971 C. P. Singh Arjuna AwardMale
    1973 Magan Singh Rajvi Arjuna AwardMale
    1978–1979 Gurdev Singh Gill Arjuna AwardMale
    1979–1980 Prasun Banerjee Arjuna AwardMale
    1980–1981 Mohammed Habib Arjuna AwardMale
    1981 Sudhir Karmakar Arjuna AwardMale
    1983 Shanti Mullick Arjuna AwardFemale
    1989 Subrata Bhattacharya Arjuna AwardMale
    1997 Brahmanand Sankhwalkar Arjuna AwardMale
    1998 Bhaichung Bhutia Arjuna AwardMale
    2001 Bruno Coutinho Arjuna AwardMale
    2002 I. M. Vijayan Arjuna AwardMale
    2010 Deepak Mondal Arjuna AwardMale
    2011 Sunil Chhetri Arjuna AwardMale
    2016 Subrata Pal Arjuna AwardMale
    2017 Oinam Bembem Devi Arjuna AwardFemale
    2019 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu Arjuna AwardMale
    2020 Sandesh Jhingan Arjuna AwardMale
    2011 Shabbir Ali Dhyan Chand AwardMale
    2017 Syed Shahid Hakim Dhyan Chand AwardMale
    2020 Sukhvinder Singh Sandhu Dhyan Chand AwardMale
    1990 Syed Nayeemuddin Dronacharya AwardMale
    2022 Bimal Prafulla Ghosh Dronacharya AwardMale
    Close

    See also

    References

    Further reading

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