Indian Football
Anuj T
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) recently unveiled an intense 2025-26 season schedule for the Indian men’s and women’s national football teams across all age groups. Following the release, the schedule highlights crucial international tournaments and FIFA windows that the teams will participate in to win.
A busy schedule signals an important period for Indian football to continue its growth and competitiveness on the global stage. While the Blues Tigers didn’t win any games in 2024, the Blue Tigresses put on a solid display in the SAFF Women’s Championships.
Let’s take a look at the teams who will be in action
The Blues Tigers will see plenty of action during multiple FIFA windows in 2025 and 2026, including qualification campaigns for continental and global tournaments. The October FIFA window will see India participate in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 Qualifiers between 15th to 26th October 2025.
Later in February 2026, the team is expected to participate in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup competition, with details yet to be finalized. These windows provide an opportunity for the Blue Tigers to improve their FIFA rankings, which have seen them slide to 127th in the latest FIFA World Rankings.
The Blues Tigresses‘ calendar is equally packed, with the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup 2025 China qualifiers scheduled between 7th May to 18th May 2025. Participation in the tournament qualifiers will serve as a stepping stone to enhance the team’s competitive edge.
Following the qualifiers, the Blue Tigresses will be participating in the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers for qualifying for the tournament to be held in Australia. Adding to this, the women’s team will participate in the FIFA Windows, with preparations geared towards building a formidable side for upcoming competitions promising growth of the sport in the country.
The U-20 Indian men’s team will be participating in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualifiers, with significant fixtures planned in mid-2025. Similar to their seniors, the U-17 men’s team faces the AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers in November 2025, followed by the final tournament which is scheduled for early 2026 if they secure qualification.
Both tournaments offer invaluable experience and a platform for scouting emerging talent from the development teams in the national setup. The tournaments and their performances could create the path and prepare them for higher levels of competition at the senior national team level.
The women’s youth teams also have a busy schedule, with the U-20 side competing in the AFC U-20 Asian Cup qualifiers in August 2025. Similarly, the U-17 women’s team will aim to excel in their AFC U-17 Asian Cup Qualifiers in late 2025 from October 9th to October 17th, 2025.
Both tournaments are again scheduled to culminate in the finals in April and May 2026. Both teams will be training and competing for top honors in the continent setup while also taking part in international friendly matches.
Similar to the men’s team, good performances in the U-20 and U-17 levels with the women’s team could be a fast track to the senior team.
The AFC Futsal Asian Cup qualifiers in 2026 mark another opportunity for Indian players to shine in a fast-paced format of the game. It provides the perfect opportunity for both men and women footballers to gain exposure and experience against the best Asian sides.
The busy 2025-26 schedule reflects the AIFF’s commitment to holistic development across all categories. With a mix of international tournaments and regular FIFA windows, the focus is on building depth, giving exposure to young players, and enhancing the competitiveness of Indian football on the global stage.
Senior Indian Men’s Team
Senior Indian Women’s Team
Indian U-20 Men’s Team
Indian U-20 Women’s Team
Indian U-17 Men’s Team
Indian U-17 Women’s Team
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