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User:ArsenalFan700/India (2020)

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India
Nickname(s)The Blue Tigers
AssociationAll India Football Federation
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationSAFF (South Asia)
Head coachIgor Štimac
CaptainSunil Chhetri
Most capsSunil Chhetri (115)
Top scorerSunil Chhetri (72)
Home stadiumVarious
FIFA codeIND
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 121 Decrease 4 (4 April 2024)[1]
Highest94 (February 1996)
Lowest173 (March 2015)
First international
 Australia 5–3 India 
(Sydney, Australia; 3 September 1938)
Biggest win
 Australia 1–7 India 
(Sydney, Australia; 9 December 1956)
 India 6–0 Cambodia 
(Delhi, India; 17 August 2007)
Biggest defeat
 Yugoslavia 10–1 India 
(Helsinki, Finland; 15 July 1952)
World Cup
AppearancesNone
AFC Asian Cup
Appearances4 (first in 1964)
Best resultRunners-up (1964)

The India national football team represents India in men's international football. The team is controlled by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and is a member of FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF). India have won the regional SAFF Championship a record seven times and have qualified for Asia's premier competition, the AFC Asian Cup, four times without winning the tournament. India have never participated in the FIFA World Cup, qualifying once in 1950 before withdrawing prior to the tournament.

India enjoyed its most successful period between 1950 and 1964 under head coach Syed Abdul Rahim. Considered one of the best teams in Asia at the time, India finished fourth in the 1956 Summer Olympics, won gold twice at the Asian Games in 1951 and 1962, and finished as runners-up in the 1964 AFC Asian Cup. After going almost the next three decades without success, India had a small resurgence in the mid-2000s. India managed to win the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008, qualifying them for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, their first since 1984. The team qualified again for the Asian Cup in 2019 and won their first match in the competition since 1964.

India played their first international match in 1938 against Australia. The national team's all-time leading goalscorer and most capped player is Sunil Chhetri. Chhetri has scored 72 goals for India in 115 matches.

History[edit]

  1. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.