The Indian national football team has had a year to forget in 2025, with an exit from the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers and a steady decline in the FIFA rankings.
In terms of results, the Blue Tigers had a slightly better year than 2024, when they failed to win a single match in an entire calendar year.
In 2025, India (men) changed coaches again, moving from Manolo Marquez to Khalid Jamil, and impressed at the CAFA Nations Cup in his first international stint as coach.
India’s record scorer Sunil Chhetri (left) came out of international retirement in March 2025, but ended his career with the national team again in November. | Photo credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR
India’s record scorer Sunil Chhetri (left) came out of international retirement in March 2025, but ended his career with the national team again in November. | Photo credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR
India defeated Tajikistan in regulation time and Oman on penalties – both higher-ranked opponents – to finish third in the tournament.
List of India matches in 2025:
| Date | Agreement | Location |
| March 19 | India 3–0 Maldives | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong, India |
| March 25 | India 0–0 Bangladesh | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Shillong, India |
| June 4 | Thailand 2–0 India | Thammasat Stadium, Pathum Thani, Thailand |
| June 10 | Hong Kong 1–0 India | Kai Tak Stadium, Kowloon, Hong Kong |
| August 29 | Tajikistan 1–2 India | Hisor Central Stadium, Hisor, Tajikistan |
| September 1 | India 0–3 Iran | Hisor Central Stadium, Hisor, Tajikistan |
| September 4 | Afghanistan 0–0 India | Hisor Central Stadium, Hisor, Tajikistan |
| September 8 | India 1–1 Oman | Hisor Central Stadium, Hisor, Tajikistan |
| October 9 | Singapore 1–1 India | National Stadium, Kallang, Singapore |
| October 14 | India 1–2 Singapore | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Margao, India |
| November 18 | Bangladesh 1–0 India | National Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh |
However, it failed to turn the tide in the Asian Cup qualifiers, losing to lower-ranked Singapore and Bangladesh, eliminating it from the qualifying race.
This year also saw India’s record scorer Sunil Chhetri face international retirement with little difference, and after the heartache of Asian Cup qualification he once again called time on his national team career in November.
Published on December 25, 2025
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