TL;DR
- India failed to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 after losses to Singapore and Bangladesh.
- The team has lost all five Asian Cup Qualifying matches, sitting at the bottom of Group C.
- Performance declined after Igor Stimac's exit, with subsequent coaches also struggling.
- Domestic leagues are stalled, and the national team's future is uncertain amid financial issues.
Indian football has been on the decline for a long time now but their miseries compounded in October when they failed to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2027.
Khalid Jamil's team saw their chances of reaching the final tournament disappear after a home defeat to a less-ranked Singapore squad. The Blue Tigers suffered another setback during the November international break, losing to Bangladesh in their fifth qualifying game.
Even though it was a match with no consequence, the Bangladesh team experienced a historic evening, achieving their first victory against India in two decades.
Add AllSportsPeople as a preferred news source
India's next match is against Hong Kong in March 2026, and it's highly probable they'll finish the qualifying stage without any victories. Currently, India sits at the bottom of Group C, having lost all five of their matches in the Asian Cup Qualifying tournament.
India's football woes
Following Croatian head coach Igor Stimac's exit, the Indian team's performance declined. While Stimac led the squad, India maintained a competitive edge and nearly advanced to the subsequent stage of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, having previously defeated Kuwait on their home turf. Nevertheless, a decline in performance late in the competition prevented them from realizing their aspirations.
The ex-West Ham player was ultimately dismissed from his role when his contract wasn't renewed. The AIFF subsequently appointed Manolo Marquez, formerly of Hyderabad FC and presently coaching FC Goa, to the position.
The team's performance began to decline during the Spaniard's tenure as head coach, and by the time he departed earlier this year, India had suffered an away defeat to Hong Kong and a home draw against Bangladesh. Concurrently, their FIFA rankings saw a significant fall.
During the September international break, Khalid Jamil managed to somewhat enhance the team's performance, leading India to victories against Tajikistan and Oman, securing third place in the CAFA Nations Cup international tournament; however, this positive momentum proved to be short-lived.
READ: Who is Ryan Williams? Football star who gave up Australian citizenship to play for India
What's next for The Indian national football squad?
The state of Indian football is currently challenging, with domestic leagues stalled because of a Supreme Court ruling and the non-renewal of Reliance's contract with the AIFF, who previously served as their marketing partner.
With no top division league on the horizon, the national team stars' futures remain uncertain.
What is India's FIFA ranking?
As of November, India are ranked 136 in the world as they dropped two places after the Singapore loss. It now remains to be seen where they end up ranking at the end of the year.