India national football team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see India women's national football team.

India
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)The Blue Tigers
AssociationAll India Football Federation (AIFF)
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationSAFF (South Asia)
Head coachManolo Márquez
CaptainGurpreet Singh Sandhu
Most capsSunil Chhetri (151)[1]
Top scorerSunil Chhetri (94)[1]
Home stadiumVarious
FIFA codeIND
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 125 Increase 1 (24 October 2024)[2]
Highest94 (February 1996[2])
Lowest173 (March 2015[2])
First international
Pre-independence:
 Australia 5–3 India 
(Sydney, Australia; 3 September 1938)
Post-independence:
 India 1–2 France 
(London, England; 31 July 1948)
Biggest win
 India 7–0 Sri Lanka 
(Bangalore, India; 7 December 1963)
Biggest defeat
 Soviet Union 11–1 India 
(Moscow, Soviet Union; 16 September 1955)
Summer Olympics
Appearances4 (first in 1948)
Best resultFourth place (1956)
Asian Cup
Appearances5 (first in 1964)
Best resultRunners-up (1964)
Asian Games
Appearances11 (first in 1951)
Best resultChampions (1951, 1962)
SAFF Championship
Appearances13 (first in 1993)
Best resultChampions (1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2011, 2015, 2021, 2023)
Medal record
Men's football
Asian Cup
Silver medal – second place 1964 Israel Team
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 1951 New Delhi Team
Gold medal – first place 1962 Jakarta Team
Bronze medal – third place 1970 Bangkok Team
AFC Challenge Cup
Gold medal – first place 2008 India Team
SAFF Championship
Gold medal – first place 1993 Pakistan N/A
Gold medal – first place 1997 Nepal N/A
Gold medal – first place 1999 India Team
Gold medal – first place 2005 Pakistan Team
Gold medal – first place 2011 India Team
Gold medal – first place 2015 India Team
Gold medal – first place 2021 Maldives Team
Gold medal – first place 2023 India Team
Silver medal – second place 1995 Sri Lanka Team
Silver medal – second place 2008 Maldives & Sri Lanka Team
Silver medal – second place 2013 Nepal Team
Silver medal – second place 2018 Bangladesh Team
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Bangladesh Team
South Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 1985 Dhaka N/A
Gold medal – first place 1987 Calcutta N/A
Gold medal – first place 1995 Madras N/A
Silver medal – second place 1993 Dhaka N/A
Bronze medal – third place 1989 Islamabad N/A
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Kathmandu N/A
Websitewww.the-aiff.com Edit this at Wikidata

The India national football team represents India in men's international football and is governed by the All India Football Federation.

The team, which is considered as the best team in South Asia, won two gold medals at the 1951 and 1962 Asian Games while finishing fourth at the 1956 Summer Olympics. India has never participated in the FIFA World Cup, although they did qualify by default for the 1950 World Cup after all other nations in their qualification group withdrew. However, India withdrew prior to the beginning of the tournament. The team has also appeared four times in the AFC Asian Cup, Asia's top football championship and finished as runners-up in 1964. India also participates in the SAFF Championship, the top regional football competition in South Asia. They have won the tournament record eight times since its inception in 1993.

In the 21st century, besides the SAFF Championship triumphs, India won the Nehru Cup in 2007 and 2009 editions. India also won the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, by which the team qualified for the Asian Cup after 27 years' gap.

  1. ^ a b Dey, Subrata. "India – Record international players". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  3. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 21 November 2024. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b "World Football Elo Ratings: India". World Football Elo Ratings. Archived from the original on 24 April 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.