India Football

India are one step away from qualifying for the AFC U17 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, needing a crucial victory over hosts Thailand in their final Group D match here on Sunday. With two wins from two games, the Ishfaq Ahmed-coached India Colts sit level on points with Thailand but trail on goal difference, making this clash a must-win to secure the top spot and an automatic berth in the tournament. Friday's hard-fought 1-0 victory over Turkmenistan kept India's hopes alive and showcased their resilience, with a well-timed strike from Ningthoukhongjam Rishi Singh clinching the game. However, Thailand's massive 19-0 rout of Brunei Darussalam later that day sent a clear signal, pushing them to the top of the group with an astounding goal difference. India had earlier defeated Brunei 13-0, while Thailand opened their campaign with a solid 2-0 win over Turkmenistan. The group stakes are high: a draw will see Thailand qualify as group leaders, while only a win will guarantee India's direct

Returning to action after three years, midfielder Farukh Choudhary feels they could have scored another goal as India had to settle for a 1-1 draw against hosts Vietnam in an international friendly here. Manolo Marquez's selection of Farukh had raised eyebrows but the midfielder, who was sidelined for three years, struck a second-half goal to level things for India after Vi Hao Bui had given the hosts a 38th minute lead. "Personally, I feel great. I've not been a part of the national team for a long time, but this is where I wanted to be. I worked hard at my clubs and I knew in my heart that I deserved to be here," Farukh said. The last time Farukh turned out for India, he created an assist against Nepal, in October 2021, in a 1-0 victory in Male. But an unfortunate knee injury meant that he had to start from square one on his way back to the national team. "I'm glad that I could make a difference for the team, but I feel that we could have scored another," he said. "But everyone

Chhetri who announced his retirement from international football this year, in June, has continued to contribute for his club

From the likes of Sunil Chhetri to Lallianzuala Chhangte, the list of all-time ISL top scorers includes some big names.

India U20 head coach Ranjan Chaudhuri, on Saturday, announced a 23-member squad for the 2025 AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers to be held in Laos from September 25-29. The Blue Colts are placed in Group G along with Iran, Mongolia and hosts Laos. The India U20 squad ============== Goalkeepers: Divyaj Dhaval Thakkar, Sahil, Priyansh Dubey. Defenders: Pramveer, L Hemba Meetei, Ngangbam Surajkumar Singh, Malemngamba Singh Thokchom, Dhanajit Ashangbam, Manabir Basumatary, Thomas Cherian, Sonam Tsewang Lhokham. Midfielders: Manjot Singh Dhami, Vanlalpeka Guite, Akash Tirkey, Ebindas Yesudasan, Ishaan Shishodia, Manglenthang Kipgen. Forwards: Kelvin Singh Taorem, Korou Singh Thingujam, Monirul Molla, Thanglalsoun Gangte, Naoba Meitei Pangambam, Gwgwmsar Goyary. Head coach: Ranjan Chaudhuri. The fixtures ========= Mongolia vs India (Sep 25); India vs Iran (Sep 27); India vs Laos (Sep 29).

Punjab FC, the only representative from north India in the top-tier Indian Super League, on Wednesday announced their 26-member squad for the upcoming season. The team's home, away and third kits were also unveiled at an event here. The Shers will start their ISL campaign against Kerala Blasters on September 15 in Kochi and will play their first home game on September 20 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. Head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis has picked a squad that has a balance of youth and experience. Luka Majcen, Mushaga Bakenga, Ezequiel Vidal, Ivan Novoselec, Asmir Suljic and Filip Mrzljak are the foreign signings of the squad. The new Indian signings include Vinit Rai, Ninthoinganba Meetei, Muheet Shabir, Nihal Sudeesh (on loan) and Likmabam Rakesh Singh (on loan). Mohammed Suhail F. and Shami Singamayum from the academy have been promoted to the senior side, joining Tekcham Abhishek Singh, Manglenthang Kipgen and Ayush Deshwal. Dilmperis said, "We have named a squad

Indian football team's hopes of winning the Intercontinental Cup title for the third time were dashed as it lost to Syria 0-3 in the last league match of the three-nation tournament here on Monday. Mahmoud Al Aswad and Daleho Mohsen Irandust scored for Syria in the seventh and 77th minutes to break the hearts of the home crowd at the GMC Balayogi Athletics Stadium. While Pablo Sabbag's strike in the injury time was a mere underlining of Syria's dominance. The result meant that Manolo Marquez began his stint as India head coach, after succeeding Igor Stimac, on a disappointing note. He was appointed at the helm of affairs in July. Syria had beaten Mauritius 2-0 in their opening match and they thus ended the round-robin league with six points. India and Mauritius finished the tournament on one point each after playing out a goalless draw on September 3. The highest-ranked team after the round-robin league wins the tournament and there is no final. India had won the title in 2018 and

Igor Stimac and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) have reached an agreement with the former men's national team head coach set to receive USD 400,000 (approximately Rs 3.36 crore) after tax as compensation for being terminated from the job. The AIFF sacked Stimac in June, terminating his contract exactly a year before it was to expire in the wake of the side's ouster from the second round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers despite getting a relatively easy draw. The sacking was followed by a bitter war of words between Stimac and the AIFF with the Croat threatening to sue the federation if it didn't settle his dues within 10 days. However, the two parties have now reached an agreement. "The AIFF top brass has approved payment of USD 400,000 as compensation to settle the issue with AIFF," a source privy to the development told PTI on Sunday. It is quite a hefty amount for a federation that has struggled for funds in recent times and has reduced its competitions budget this ...

The mayor of Madrid criticized Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior on Wednesday after the Brazilian said Spain shouldn't host the 2030 World Cup if the country hasn't come to grips with racism in soccer by then. Vinicius told CNN in an interview that if there is no progress (on racism) before 2030, they should change the host nation for the World Cup. Madrid mayor Jos Luis Martnez-Almeida said Vinicius' comments could be damaging to Spain as a host of the tournament and had painted the country as a racist nation. We are aware that there are racist episodes in society and that we must work hard to put an end to them," Martnez-Almeida said. It's unfair with Spain and with Madrid to say that we are a racist society. Vinicius, who is Black, told CNN he loves living in Madrid and said the majority of people in Spain are not racist, but there is a small group that ends up affecting the image of the country. Vinicius has been subjected to a series of racist insults since he joined Real .

Influential centre-back Sandesh Jhingan's name was missing as Chennaiyin FC forward Kiyan Nassiri, son of East Bengal's Iranian legend Jamshid, on Wednesday inched closer to his maiden India selection after being named among new head coach Manolo Marquez's 26 probables for the Intercontinental Cup preparatory camp. Mohun Bagan SG right-back Ashish Rai and East Bengal goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, who are yet to play for the senior India team, also received call-ups for the camp in preparation for the three-team annual tournament that will be held from September 3-9 in Hyderabad. It is understood that key defender Jhingan, who sustained a right knee injury during India's Asian Cup group match against Syria in January, is yet to recover from the injury. Jhingan, the 31-year-old central defender, also missed out on selection for the team's camp ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 preliminary joint qualification round 2 matches against Kuwait and Qatar, in May. Syria, placed 93rd in

France's heartache in penalty shootouts is over. So is Cristiano Ronaldo's last-ever European Championship. In a clash of the soccer superstars, it was Kylian Mbapp and not Ronaldo, his idol advancing to a semifinal match against Spain as France beat Portugal 5-3 in a shootout following a 0-0 draw on Friday. Portugal substitute Joao Felix hit a post with the only miss in the shootout and Theo Hernndez showed no sign of pressure by converting the clinching kick into the top corner. It was a record sixth and final European Championship for the 39-year-old Ronaldo, who scored Portugal's first penalty in the shootout and ended up consoling fellow veteran Pepe afterward as the 41-year-old defender cried on his captain's shoulder. We need to go through this moment of our loss, which is very painful, Pepe said. Ronaldo's 20-year career in the Euros included the title in 2016 when Portugal beat France in the final and it remains to be seen if the five-time world player of the year wil

Europe beware Spain might just be back. The three-time European champion advanced to the round of 16 at Euro 2024 after a 1-0 win against holders Italy on Thursday. A 55th-minute own goal by Riccardo Calafiori settled the Group B game at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen. But that didn't begin to tell the full story of a statement performance from Spain, which surely marks it as one of the favorites to win a record-extending fourth European Championship. I think it was the best Spain performance I have taken charge of, coach Luis de la Fuente said. I don't see a ceiling on this team. The sky is the limit. Spain totally dominated defending champion Italy, with 16-year-old winger Lamine Yamal further enhancing his reputation as one of soccer's most exciting young stars. Player of the match Nico Williams also tormented Italy's defenders and was the width of the crossbar away from scoring in the second half. It took Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to keep the score down with

World-renowned football club FC Barcelona has decided to shut down all its academies in India, 14 years after starting operations with an aim to train the country's kids in their famed 'La Masia (youth academy)' style. FC Barcelona did not provide any official reason for the closure. All its academies in the Indian cities of Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune will cease to exist from July 1. "FC Barcelona have informed the families involved in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune will cease to operate as Barca Academies from 1 July 2024," the club said in a statement which it uploaded on its website. "Barcelona's presence in India began back in 2010 and since then thousands of youngsters have learned to play football in the Barca style and with the Club's values. "Furthermore, India was the venue for two Barca Academy APAC tournament in 2019 and 2020 and the academies have been an ever present in the 11 editions of the Barca Academy World Cup held in Barcelona during Easter Week,"

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Monday sacked Igor Stimac as the head coach of the country's senior's men's team following a disappointing campaign in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Stimac, who was appointed as the head coach in 2019, was given an extension last year by the sport's apex body. India could not make the third round of the World Cup qualifier following a 1-2 defeat against Qatar in their final second round match. "Noting the disappointing outcome of the Senior Men's National Team's FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification campaign, the members unanimously agreed that a new Head Coach would be best placed to take the team forward," the AIFF said in a statement. "A notice of termination has been issued to Mr. Stimac by the AIFF Secretariat, and he stands relieved of his obligations with immediate effect." The 56-year-old Stimac, who was part of the Croatia team that made the semifinals of the 1998 World Cup, had taken charge of the Blue Tigers in 2019, after t

The FIFA World Cup 2026 second round qualifier saw a controversial goal by Qatar's Yousef Aymen in the 73rd minute, which the Indian team contested as the ball had gone out of play

South American football is associated with dazzling entertainment, only three teams - Brazil, Mexico and Argentina - currently figure in the FIFA world team rankings

In his last appearance for India, the 'captain, leader, legend' Sunil Chhetri couldn't score and neither could India and Kuwait with the match ending 0-0, India's chances of qualification diminishing

In the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait live match will begin at 7:00 PM IST today at Salt Lake Stadium. IND vs KUW match is also Sunil Chhetri's final match in international football

Former India midfielder Syed Rahim Nabi on Thursday heaped praise on Sunil Chhetri, who is retiring from the international game after Thursday's World Cup qualifying round match against Kuwait, saying the records set by the iconic footballer will be difficult to surpass. He, however, hoped that someone in future will fill the boots of Chhetri. "The records that he (Chhetri) has set, surpassing that will be very difficult," Nabi told PTI at the East Bengal club ground a few hours before the all important match at Salt Lake Stadium. "Bhaichung (Bhutia) filled the boots of the great IM Vijayan, Sunil filled Bhaichung's boots, someone will fill his (Chhetri's) boots but what he has done," said Nabi, who had played many matches together with Chhetri in the national team. He complimented Chhetri for his longevity and said that the ace striker was always able to adapt and evolve. Nabi, who played in more than 60 matches for India between 2004 and 2013, said it was a matter of pride that

Central midfielder Anirudh Thapa knows that a win for India in their upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kuwait will be massive for the country's football landscape and he is confident of putting the best foot forward. The game, at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, will also mark the legendary Sunil Chhetri's farewell from international football after a glorious 19-year career. "It is an important match for all of us, and especially for Sunil bhai. We need to make sure that we qualify for the third round because that would be huge for Indian football and the fans," Thapa told the All India Football Federation's website. "We're playing at the Salt Lake and the stadium will be fully packed. We all know how crazy the fans are and how much they love football there. We will give our best for the nation. We need to be at our best to get those three points," he added. India, who need to win their last two matches in the qualifiers against Kuwait (home) on June 6 and Qatar (away) on