The Indian football men’s national team’s 2025 campaign stands as a study in contrasts a year that oscillated between stagnation and revival, between deep-rooted structural shortcomings and glimpses of renewed competitive edge. What began with instability under former head coach Manolo Márquez eventually transformed into a more disciplined, resilient outfit under new boss Khalid Jamil….
The cancellation of the Indian women’s football team’s European tour to North Macedonia scheduled during the November FIFA International Window has emerged as one of the most consequential administrative lapses in recent Indian football history. What should have been a vital preparatory assignment ahead of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 instead turned into a…
The All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) enters one of the most critical phases in its modern history as it prepares for its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on December 20, 2025. What is usually a procedural gathering has transformed into a high-stakes event, unfolding amid an unprecedented governance and financial meltdown. With the Indian Super League…
India begin their AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers 2026 campaign with a high-stakes opening clash against Palestine, India U17 vs Palestine U17, on 22 November 2025 in Ahmedabad, a match that could define both teams’ fortunes in what is one of the most competitive groups in this qualification cycle. With only the group winner earning…
The India U-17 Men’s National Football Team enters a decisive chapter as the AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers kick off in Ahmedabad from 22–30 November 2025. The EKA Arena by TransStadia, packed with home fans and electric energy, is set to become the site where India’s next generation attempts to reclaim its continental standing….
India’s dramatic plunge to FIFA Rank 142 in November 2025 marks one of the most alarming chapters in modern Indian football history. It is not just a number it is the clearest statistical confirmation of a footballing system that has collapsed across competitive, technical, administrative, and commercial lines. Based on the latest diagnostic report, India’s…
East Bengal’s hopes of sealing early qualification to the AFC Women’s Champions League quarterfinals took a hit in Wuhan, where defending champions Wuhan Jiangda delivered a sharp, disciplined performance to secure a 2–0 victory. The match, played on Thursday afternoon, was shaped decisively in the opening minutes as Chinese superstar Wang Shuang struck twice inside…
The AFC Women’s Champions League (AWCL) 2025/26 enters a defining phase as East Bengal FC (W) gear up to face Wuhan Jiangda FC (W) in a pivotal Group B Matchday 2 fixture on November 20. What was expected to be a routine step for the reigning champions has instead transformed into one of the most…
The Indian Women’s Football Team will travel to North Macedonia on November 20 for one of its most strategically significant international exposure tours in recent years. Falling within the FIFA International Women’s Match Window (November 24–December 2), the tour is a carefully engineered component of the Blue Tigresses’ long-term build-up to the AFC Women’s Asian…
Bangladesh produced a memorable night in Dhaka, beating India 1–0 to record a famous victory in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. Shekh Morsalin’s composed finish in the 11th minute proved enough as the home side dug in behind the lead, defended doggedly and held on as the crowd erupted in relief and celebration. For India,…
When India walk out at the National Stadium in Dhaka on November 18 for India vs Bangladesh, it will not feel like a match between two teams already knocked out of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifying race. The fixture may be a dead rubber on paper, but India vs Bangladesh has never been a…
East Bengal FC Women’s stunning 3–1 victory over Bam Khatoon FC on Matchday 1 of the AFC Women’s Champions League 2025/26 has done more than rewrite sporting history. It has created a financial and strategic milestone for Indian women’s football, positioning the club and the Indian Women’s League (IWL) at the beginning of a new…
When 20-year-old defender Dane Saju signed for HNK Brotnjo Čitluk in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the move sparked interest across Indian football circles. Headlines framed it as another young Indian “entering Europe,” but beneath the celebratory narrative lies a far more complex reality one that reveals both the progress and pitfalls of India’s evolving player-export ecosystem….
East Bengal FC could not have hoped for a better start to their AFC Women’s Champions League 2025/26 campaign. Playing at the Hankou Cultural Sports Centre in Wuhan, the Indian champions delivered a composed, efficient and often dominant performance to defeat Iran’s Bam Khatoon FC 3-1 in their Group B opener on Monday. Goals from…
Indian football stands at its most fragile moment since the formation of the Indian Super League (ISL) in 2014. What was launched as a bold, reformative project to modernize Indian football has entered a dangerous period of uncertainty. At the heart of the crisis lies the impending expiry of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between…
In global football conversations, the Premier League (PL) stands as the gold standard for how a domestic league can transform an entire sporting ecosystem and national economy. In contrast, India’s Indian Super League (ISL) operates in a vastly different environment one where football fights for space, investment, and attention in a cricket-dominated landscape. But the…
When East Bengal Women lifted the 2024–25 Indian Women’s League trophy in April, the celebrations stretched far beyond the club’s red-and-gold faithful. That victory did more than crown a deserving champion it opened the door to the biggest stage an Indian women’s club has ever stepped onto, the AFC Women’s Champions League Group Stage. Now,…
In 2025, four U23 Indian women footballers Rivka Ramji, Harshika Jain, Aveka Singh, and Kajol Dsouza found themselves spread across four very different footballing cultures, East Asia, Eastern Europe, Nordic Europe, and the Middle East. Indian women football is entering a decisive new phase one defined not only by national team milestones but by the…
Bengaluru FC’s announcement on November 14, 2025, confirming the departure of head coach Gerard Zaragoza, marks one of the most significant turning points in the club’s recent history. While managerial exits are not new in Indian football, this one reflects a deeper structural issue that extends far beyond performance or tactical disagreements. Zaragoza’s departure along…
At a time when Indian football is mired in uncertainty, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has quietly launched one of the most important commercial decisions in the history of the women’s football. On 14 November 2025, the federation issued a fresh tender inviting partners to acquire commercial rights to the Indian Women’s League (IWL)…
As the evening sun settles behind the Sabarmati and a cool November breeze sweeps across the old and new quarters of Ahmedabad, the city prepares for a celebration unlike any in its sporting history. The familiar sounds of bustling traffic around Kankaria are replaced by the echo of footballs at the EKA Arena by TransStadia,…
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Thursday named a 23-member Indian squad that will travel to Dhaka for the AFC Asian Cup Qualifier Saudi Arabia 2027 against Bangladesh. While the announcement features several expected names across all positions, the biggest talking point is the conditional inclusion of Bengaluru FC winger Ryan Williams, who could…
The unprecedented failure of the Indian Super League (ISL) commercial rights tender on 7 November 2025 has sent shockwaves through Indian football. For the first time since the league’s inception in 2014, not a single entity including incumbents, domestic platforms, or overseas groups submitted a bid for the 15-year commercial rights package. The tender had…
The Indian men’s football team’s closed-door practice match against Bhutan, India vs Bhutan in Bengaluru may have appeared like a low-profile encounter on paper, but in reality, it represents one of the most strategically crucial moments in India’s ongoing preparation cycle. With a AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifier against Bangladesh looming on November 18 in…
When Sunil Chhetri announced his retirement from international football in May 2024, India felt an entire era folding into a single moment. The country’s most decorated player its captain, its leader, its heartbeat for nearly two decades declared his final bow. The June 6th World Cup qualifier against Kuwait at a sold-out Salt Lake Stadium…
Rivka Ramji’s transfer to Lion City Sailors Women’s Team (LCS WT) in Singapore is far more than an overseas signing it is a defining moment for Indian women’s football. At just 18, the India U-19 midfielder has taken a decisive professional leap that reflects both her own ambition and the shifting developmental realities for India’s…
In a move that signals both personal excellence and institutional ambition, Tomasz Tchórz, head coach of Sporting Club Delhi (SC Delhi), has officially attained the UEFA Pro License the highest coaching qualification in European football. The achievement not only elevates Tchórz into an elite global bracket of coaches but also marks a watershed moment for…
Indian footballer Ativeer Jain is entering the most crucial chapter of his career. His move in 2025 from FC Alverca’s B side where he produced a stunning 25 goals in 25 matches to Portimonense SC’s U-23 team in the elite Liga Revelação, represents a decisive shift from numerical dominance to qualitative validation. For a 21-year-old…
The India U20 Women’s National Team enters the final stretch of preparation for the 2026 AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup, set for April in Thailand, knowing that the challenge ahead is unlike anything they have encountered in their current cycle. Having topped their qualification group earlier this year, India arrive at the Asian Cup with…
The Tri-Nation Women’s Football International Friendly Tournament 2025 in Shillong brought the Indian women’s football team back to the Northeast after nearly a decade, but the return did not produce the results the Blue Tigresses hoped for. Featuring India (FIFA Rank 63), Iran (70) and Nepal (89), the tournament was designed as a preparation window…
Indian women’s football team head coach Crispin Chettri has announced a 25-member list of probables for the national camp ahead of the November FIFA International Women’s Match Window, as preparations intensify for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026. The camp will begin on November 10 at the National Centre of Excellence in Kolkata, with players…
The appointment of Sandip Nandy as the India U23 Goalkeeping Coach marks one of the most strategically important coaching transitions in recent Indian football. It is not merely a routine staffing move by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), but a significant injection of elite experience into a crucial development stage that feeds directly into…
The hill city of Gangtok is set to host one of India’s most storied football tournaments the 41st All India Governor’s Gold Cup International Football Tournament, from November 16 to 29, 2025, at the iconic Paljor Stadium. Organized by the Sikkim Football Association (SFA), the event carries more than just historical weight; it represents a…
The AIFF Super Cup 2025 has reached its decisive phase, with four semi-finalists FC Goa, Mumbai City FC, East Bengal FC, and Punjab FC vying not only for domestic silverware but also for a crucial continental berth in the 2026–27 AFC Champions League Two qualifiers. Beyond the immediate prize, this year’s tournament has reflected a…
When the All India Football Federation (AIFF) opened its commercial rights ISL tender for the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025–40 cycle, it expected to usher in a new era of transparency and independence. Instead, the process ended in a stunning zero-bid outcome not a single company, including long-time partner FSDL, submitted a proposal by the…
When Sunil Chhetri stepped off the pitch in Goa after India’s 1–2 defeat to Singapore, the silence said more than any speech could. The match didn’t just end India’s AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifying campaign it ended the international career of the greatest Indian footballer in history and laid bare the systemic rot that had…
When Abneet Bharti will walk into the Indian national team camp ahead of the AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh, it will be marked as a far more than just another call-up. It was the culmination of a decade-long journey across four continents, 10 clubs, and endless trials. For the 27-year-old Nepal-born defender, now playing…
When Ryan Williams signed for Bengaluru FC in 2023, it was seen as a typical ISL transfer a seasoned Australian winger adding experience to a growing league. Two years later, that move has come to represent something far more significant. Williams, once a youth international for Australia and a regular in England’s Football League, has…
Indian football’s struggles in international stage have been well-documented a stagnant FIFA ranking hovering in the 130s, a lack of cutting edge in attack, and a defensive fragility that has cost the team dearly in close contests. While the domestic game has grown in visibility through the Indian Super League (ISL), the national team continues…
Mumbai City FC sealed their place in the semi-finals of the AIFF Super Cup 2025–26 after a dramatic 1-0 win over Kerala Blasters at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda. In a tense and tightly fought Group D decider, an unfortunate 88th-minute own goal by Freddy Lallawmawma handed the Islanders a narrow victory and a…
Rajasthan United FC’s memorable run in the AIFF Super Cup 2025–26 came to an agonising end after a dramatic 2-2 draw against Sporting Club Delhi at the GMC Stadium, Bambolim. The I-League side, who looked set for a famous win after a dominant first-half display, were denied in the dying moments as Sporting Club Delhi…
The recent call-up of winger Ryan Williams to the Indian national men’s football team camp marks a pivotal moment in the strategic direction of Indian football. Williams, who has been playing for Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL), is now set to formally join the national camp ahead of India’s upcoming AFC Asian…
East Bengal FC’s signing of India international forward Jyoti Chouhan ahead of the 2025–26 season marks one of the most strategic acquisitions in the recent history of the Indian Women’s League. The move is not simply about bringing home a player who has excelled abroad; it represents a calculated step toward consolidating East Bengal’s domestic…
The final matchday of Group D in the AIFF Super Cup 2025–26 arrives with a rare combination of clarity and chaos one semi-final place, three contenders, and a narrow set of scoreline permutations that could decide which club advances to the last four and secures a step closer to continental football. Kerala Blasters FC lead…
FC Goa suffered a heavy defeat away from home as Al Nassr registered a commanding 4–0 victory in the AFC Champions League 2 on Wednesday night at Al-Awwal Park. The Saudi Arabian side, stacked with experience and depth, controlled the match from the first whistle, leaving the Indian Super League outfit struggling to keep pace…
Gokulam Kerala FC ended their Super Cup 2025 campaign on a strong note, defeating Mohammedan Sporting Club 3–0 in their final Group C match at the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim on Wednesday. Both teams had already been eliminated from semifinal contention after consecutive defeats to Punjab FC and Bengaluru FC, but the Malabarians ensured…
Punjab FC booked their place in the semi-finals of the AIFF Super Cup 2025 after edging past Bengaluru FC 5–4 in a dramatic penalty shootout at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Wednesday night. After 90 minutes of intense, goalless football, it all came down to composure from the spot and it was Punjab…
The Indian men’s national football team will return to action later this month as it faces Bangladesh in Dhaka for India vs Bangladesh on November 18, but this time the match arrives without the usual implications of qualification pressure. India is already out of the running for the AFC Asian Cup 2027, and so is…
With qualification already settled and both India and Bangladesh out of contention in Group C of the Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers, the match between India vs Bangladesh in Dhaka on November 18 carries no mathematical consequence. Yet, it is far from meaningless. In a region where emotions run deep and footballing identities evolve through small…
Group C of the AIFF Super Cup 2025 is poised for a decisive showdown tonight as Bengaluru FC and Punjab FC face off at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda in what effectively becomes a knockout match for a place in the semifinals. Both teams have been flawless so far, winning their first two…
