The Indian football team squandered a first-half lead to eventually go down to AFC Challenge Cup Champions Palestine 2-3 in an International friendly in Siliguri on Monday.
Exploring memorable scenes that celebrate football in the movies.
Anthony Andrews, the highly successful coach of East Bengal FC, has been appointed as the assistant coach for the India Under-17 women's national team. He joins the team in Tashkent for friendly matches ahead of the AFC U17 Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers, bringing his extensive experience and winning record, including four IWL titles and continental success with East Bengal.
Indian Teqball players Declan Marshall Gonsalves and Mohamed Anas Imran Beg were eliminated from the men's doubles competition at the Asian Games after losing both their group matches.
The Indian Navy football team secured their first victory in the Durand Cup, defeating NEROCA FC 2-0 in a Group D fixture. Goals from Roshan Panna and E Muhammed Inayath sealed the win, moving the Navy to second place in their group.
Lalremsiami Hmarzote, Mizoram's first female Olympian and Asian Games medallist, is now India's offensive lynchpin, aiming for a first Asian Games hockey gold since 1982, after overcoming initial family resistance and training on dirt pitches.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has released its tentative calendar for the 2026-27 season, featuring the Indian Super League (ISL), Federation Cup, and other key tournaments.
Sanfida Nongrum's second-half strike sent India into the SAFF Women's Championship final, but coach Crispin Chhetri criticised his side's attitude and admitted Bhutan 'deserved to win' after a scrappy 1-0 semi-final victory.
India's senior men's team head coach, Khalid Jamil, has announced a 28-member preliminary squad for the Unity Cup in London, featuring four goalkeepers and eight forwards.
Quimcy Dsouza, a former Maharashtra footballer, made an unconventional journey to the Asian Games teqball semifinals after discovering the sport through Ronaldinho. Despite a defeat, she expressed pride in her performance and her role in pioneering teqball in India, highlighting the challenges of limited funding and her dedication to growing the sport.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup Final saw a galaxy of stars on the field and off it.
Scottish striker Lee Harry Erwin has signed a one-year contract with Indian football club Mohun Bagan, bringing his experience from European and Asian clubs to bolster the team's attacking options.
The Indian U20 men's football team is set to play two friendly matches against Yemen in Bengaluru as part of their preparations for the AFC U20 Asian Cup China 2027 Qualifiers. These matches follow two recent victories against Singapore and precede their travel to Tashkent for the qualifiers against Syria, Uzbekistan, and Bangladesh.
The Indian football team suffered a 1-3 defeat against higher-ranked Tajikistan in an international friendly match. Despite a late goal from Farukh Choudhary, India could not overcome Tajikistan's lead, marking their third consecutive loss in recent friendlies as they prepare for continental assignments.
Title contenders India made an emphatic start in the SAFF Women's Football Championship as they pumped in goals for fun to notch a crushing 11-0 win over Maldives in the tournament opener in Margao on Monday.
At a time when Indian football is seeking a radical overhaul, the Super Cup, starting in Goa from Saturday, could act as a catalyst for clubs to build their teams, prepare their players, get valuable match time, and keep their hopes of continental qualifications alive.
Indian Olympic Association president Narinder Batra defended football's exclusion from the Asian Games contingent and justified the decision of including lesser known sports like pencak silat, saying they are potential medal winners and there is no place for "also rans" in the squad.
The India U20 women's football team secured a 5-2 victory against Swedish club Alvsjo AIK in a friendly match held in Sweden, with Lhingdeikim scoring a hat-trick.
All India Football Federation President Kalyan Chaubey has urged the Tata group to reconsider its decision to withdraw Jamshedpur FC from the Indian Super League. While Tata maintains it's a strategic move for grassroots development, Chaubey believes the decision should not be purely financial and highlights Tata's significant contributions to Indian football through the Tata Football Academy.
All India Football Federation President Kalyan Chaubey has urged the Tata group to reconsider its decision to withdraw Jamshedpur FC from the Indian Super League. While Tata maintains it's a strategic move for grassroots development, Chaubey believes the decision should not be purely financial and highlights Tata's significant contributions to Indian football through the Tata Football Academy.
Despite a population of 1.45 billion, India's football team is ranked a lowly 138th in the world and failed to qualify for next year's Asian Cup, highlighting deep-rooted systemic issues and a failure to implement reforms that keep the World Cup dream distant for fans.
The Kerala Sports Department has submitted its confidential inquiry report regarding the controversy surrounding the proposed visit of football legend Lionel Messi and the Argentina team to the state during the previous government's tenure.
The Sports Ministry has approved a 492-member Indian contingent, comprising 265 male and 227 female athletes, for the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Athletics forms the largest group with 73 participants, including star athletes like Neeraj Chopra and Jyothi Yarraji. Other prominent sports like shooting, weightlifting, badminton, boxing, and wrestling also feature strong teams, with some adjustments made due to doping violations.
Punjab FC has announced the signing of Mohammed Inam, a talented footballer from Jammu and Kashmir, on a two-year contract. Inam, who previously captained Real Kashmir FC, brings experience from the Indian Football League, I-League qualifiers, and the Durand Cup to his new club.
Former India football coach Stephen Constantine has expressed deep disappointment over the national team's current decline, criticising the All India Football Federation for its decisions, including the appointment of Khalid Jamil as coach despite his lack of international experience. Constantine, who led India to a historic FIFA ranking of 96, believes he should still be managing the team and calls for wider structural reforms in Indian football.
Spanish football coach Manolo Marquez has criticised the expansion of the FIFA World Cup, arguing it compromises quality and that countries like India should prioritise grassroots development over relying on increased qualification slots. He also highlighted the impact of naturalised players on international competition, citing his experience with the Indian team.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has announced an eight-year partnership with FIFA to broadcast all its matches, including the World Cup 2026, in the Indian market. The deal includes 39 FIFA global football events, with live coverage available on ZEEL's sports network and streaming platform ZEE5.
SC Delhi staged a remarkable second-half comeback, scoring five goals to defeat debutants FC Raengdai of Manipur 5-1 in the Durand Cup quarter-finals. After conceding an early goal, Joseph Sunny's brace, along with goals from Rodriguinho, Juan Sebastian Pena, and Augustine Lalrochana, secured their place in the semifinals.
Indian football team's head coach Igor Stimac has called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to ensure the team's participation at the Asian Games.
Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri visited the Mumbai Indians training session at Wankhede Stadium, interacting with players and receiving a team jersey from Hardik Pandya.
Tata Steel has confirmed that Jamshedpur FC will honour all existing player contracts and assist footballers in finding new clubs following its withdrawal from the Indian Super League. The company also clarified that its commitment to grassroots football and youth development in Jamshedpur remains strong, with no plans to relocate the club's operations.
The Indian women's football team lost 0-2 to Kenya in the semifinal of the FIFA Series 2026. Martha Emedot and Tereza Obunya scored for Kenya.
Indian cricketer Riyan Parag discusses his lifelong passion for football, particularly his admiration for Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo. He also speculates on which footballers could play cricket and which cricketers could play football.
Following their historic World Cup win, the Indian women's cricket team has been nominated for the prestigious Laureus World Team of the Year Award, a first for any women's cricket team.
The Sports Ministry, led by Mansukh Mandaviya, has announced stringent selection criteria for the upcoming Asian Games, capping the contingent at 600 athletes. The policy prioritises medal prospects, stating that the Games are not for "exposure tours" or securing jobs. This includes a "realistic chance of winning a medal" and being in the top six continental rankings. The ministry will scrutinise recommendations from National Sports Federations, with specific cases like equestrian Anush Agarwalla and table tennis player Manika Batra highlighting the new approach.
'I gave everything I had, and I don't have anything more to give.'
Seventeen Indian sportspersons, including World Cup winning chess player Divya Deshmukh, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, and shuttler Gayatri Gopichand, have been named for the prestigious Arjuna Award for 2025.
Sports Ministry clears participation of Indian men's and women's football teams in Asian Games
India qualified as one of the six best second-placed teams from the group matches of qualifying round. All the matches of each of the 10 groups were played in a single venue.
India is set to field a strong contingent at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, with key athletes like PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, and Lovlina Borgohain leading the charge to defend titles in cricket, kabaddi, and men's hockey.
