 | |||
| Nickname | TheGorkhalis | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) | ||
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Sub-confederation | SAFF (South Asia) | ||
| Head coach | Hari Khadka | ||
| Captain | Kiran Chemjong | ||
| Mostcaps | Kiran Chemjong (111) | ||
| Top scorer | Ganesh Thapa (14) | ||
| Home stadium | Dasharath Stadium | ||
| FIFA code | NEP | ||
| |||
| FIFA ranking | |||
| Current | 182 2 (19 November 2025)[1] | ||
| Highest | 124 (December 1993 – February 1994) | ||
| Lowest | 196 (January 2016) | ||
| First international | |||
 China 6–2Nepal  (Beijing,China; 13 October 1972) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
Nepal 7–0Bhutan  (Kathmandu,Nepal; 26 September 1999) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
 South Korea 16–0Nepal (Incheon,South Korea; 29 September 2003) | |||
| SAFF Championship | |||
| Appearances | 13 (first in1993) | ||
| Best result | Runners-up (2021) | ||
| AFC Solidarity Cup | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in2016) | ||
| Best result | Champions (2016) | ||
| AFC Challenge Cup | |||
| Appearances | 3 (first in2006) | ||
| Best result | Semi-finals (2006) | ||
| Website | the-anfa | ||
TheNepal national football team (Nepali:नेपाल राष्ट्रिय फुटबल टिम) representsNepal inInternational men'sfootball, and is governed by theAll Nepal Football Association (ANFA). A member of theAsian Football Confederation (AFC), the Nepali football team plays their home games atDasharath Stadium inKathmandu.
Football in Nepal had been a national sport as early as 1921 during theRana dynasty. Several clubs were formed and several domestic tournaments such as the Ram Janaki Cup (1934), and theTribhuvan Challenge Shield (1948) were organized. In 1951, theAll Nepal Football Association (ANFA) was founded, and this saw the formation of the Nepal national football team Nepal was one of the greatest back back in time but started focusing on cricket.
In 1963, Nepal appeared in their first international away game in theAga Khan Gold Cup; the predecessor of the President's Gold Cup,Asia Champion Club Tournament, andAsian Club Championship (now rebranded as theAFC Champions League) after various associations (includingANFA) insisted on entering national teams instead of clubs.[3] After Nepal entered an 18-man squad,ANFA flew the players toDacca,East Pakistan (nowBangladesh) to play their first match. Nepal facedWestern Railway, a Pakistani team in theBangabandhu National Stadium. However, Nepal lost the match 0–7. Two days later, Nepal played theDhaka Wanderers, a local East Pakistani team. This match was also lost 0–7. After two disastrous games, Nepal was sure to be knocked out of the preliminary round. The final game was againstDhaka Police Club, though, despite the previous heavy losses, Nepal managed to win the game with a single goal, Prakash Bikram Shah becoming the first Nepali to score on foreign soil. The goal was scored in the 19th minute.[citation needed]
In 1970, Nepal became a member of FIFA. Two years later, Nepal joined theAsian Football Confederation (AFC). With this, Nepal played their first international match on 13 October 1972, where they lost 2–6 to thePeople's Republic of China. The first Nepali footballer to score the first international goal for Nepal in a FIFA-recognized tournament wasY.B Ghale. Ghale scored againstKuwait in the1982 Asian Games. Despite the popularity of the game, the lack of appropriate footballing infrastructure and the dearth of trainers, technicians, and other facilities have always been obstacles in the way of the Nepali FA's endeavors to raise the standard of football among the players of a nation that has an official per capita income of just 1,196 US dollars. The woes of Nepali football, however, have been immensely relieved by FIFA's determination to promote football in Nepal through youth programs.
In the mid-1980s,FIFA provided financial assistance and sent a number of coaches to help Nepal's federation to launch its first youth program, which was geared towards spotting talent at the grassroots level (such as in schools, for example) and providing young players with the necessary know-how, both on and off the pitch. The initial five-year plan helped half the players groomed under the first youth program to find a place in the national side, and the team that won the 2 gold medals in thefirst andsixth South Asian Federation (SAF) Games mostly consisted of the players from that youth program. Despite Nepal being considered among the lower-ranked nations, Nepal has been largely successful in theSouth Asian Games where they won two gold, two silver, and two bronze medals.
Nepal hosted several notable friendlies from teams outside theAsian Confederation during the mid to late 80s, againstDenmark in 1986;USSR andEast Germany in 1987; andWest Germany in 1989.[4] While at the same time, Nepal still entered tournaments against club sides such asFC Ural Sverdlovsk Oblast in the 1989 ANFA Cup.
Nepal continued on with their winning ways through several minor tournaments which saw the nation showered with titles including the 1997 and 1998Governor's Gold Cup, winning gold at the1993 South Asian Games, and reaching 3rd place in the1993 South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation Gold Cup (the first edition of theSAFF Championship).
The Nepali football came across a forgettable two years from 2001 to 2003 when the row between two factions (government-backed and FIFA-backed) led Nepali football into deep trouble. Nepal faced a ban and therefore could not participate in any events and the rankings slipped heavily. The dispute was settled, but not before it contributed to pushing Nepali football backward. Nepal celebrated their 100th international football match in January 2003 when they played Bangladesh in theSouth Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship. Nepal failed to make any real impact at the tournament. During its 22 years of international participation, the Nepali team has only played 26 nations outside of South Asia, but it has defeated all of the country's South Asian neighbors during various regional tournaments. Nepal also faced non-AFC teams in competitive tournaments such asGhana U23 in the1999 Bangabandhu Cup, andKazakhstan in the2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign (although Kazakhstan was a member of theAFC during this match).
In 2002, Nepal also faced a 7 match football series against Afghanistan and Afghanistan defeated Nepal 7-0 in that series.[5]
Despite many attempts to raise the standard of football, the players of the resource-strapped nation have not been able to make their mark in international football beyond South Asia. In 2003 during theAFC Asian Cup qualifiers, Nepal's A national team suffered a number of heavy defeats in international matches outside of South Asia. In a match during the Asian Cup qualifying round inSouth Korea, the hosts scored 16 goals to no reply. In their six matches, Nepal conceded 45 goals and failed to hit the back of the net even once. However, the qualifying competition for the2002 FIFA World Cup witnessed one of Nepal's best performances in international football, with theGorkhalis securing two wins in four matches and scoring 13 goals in two matches againstMacao andIraq. But with the Nepali national and youth teams failing to achieve any noticeable success at the international level andFIFA introducing new age restriction systems in several international tournaments, Nepal recently decided to compete only in theFIFA World Cup andAFC Asian Cup qualifiers as well as theSAFF Championship until 2006.
After the marquee appointments of Graham Roberts, Nepal had experienced a fair amount of success following the decade of decline. Nepal won Saff U-19 championship in 2015 and 3 major tournaments in 2016, theBangabandhu Cup and theAFC Solidarity Cup and won a gold medal in2016 South Asian Games. Nepal lost no match in 2016.[6][7]
Nepal managed a good performance in the2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification, even though the team was chosen as a replacement for theGuam national football team as Guam chose not to participate.[8] Nepal had two successful draws against much strongerPhilippines andYemen at home, both ended 0–0.[9][10] However, as the team lost toTajikistan twice[11][12] and away loss to the Philippines[13] and Yemen,[14] the Nepalis failed to qualify to the2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Nepal participated in the second round of the2022 FIFA World Cup qualification where they have to face strongAustralia,Kuwait andJordan, alongside minnowsChinese Taipei. The Nepalis only managed one single win over Chinese Taipei away 2–0 and lost to the other opponents without scoring a goal after five matches.
Nepal participated in the2021 SAFF Championship and managed to reach the tournament final where they were defeated 0–3 byIndia.
In October 2023, Nepal participated in the first round of the2026 FIFA World Cup qualification againstLaos. The first leg contested in a goalless draw between both team where else on 17 October 2023,Manish Dangi scored the only goal in the match to secure the victory for Nepal seeing them advanced to thesecond round.
In March 2024, Nepal lost to Bahrain 0–3 in a2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match which eliminated the team from advancing to the next round.
The team's home ground is various around the nation one of the ground beingDasarath Rangasala Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium inKathmandu,Nepal. Holding 15,000 spectators all of which are beautifully seated.[15] It is the biggest stadium in Nepal. It is named afterDashrath Chand, one of the martyrs of Nepal.
Most recently, the stadium was used as a primary venue for the2012 AFC Challenge Cup and the2013 SAFF Championship, with theHalchowk Stadium hosting some of the matches as well.
Apart from sporting events, the stadium is also used as a music venue for cultural events withBryan Adams being the most notable act that performed at the site.
Before the 2013 SAFF Championship in Nepal, the stadium underwent a heavy renovation that saw several improvements such as the expansion of seats from 20,000 to 28,000.
The country also has some recently added stadiums that include Pokhara football stadium located at Pokhara Rangasala which has recently been constructed in 2021.
The national team's kit employs a tricolor of red, blue, and white to reflect the colors of the nationalflag of Nepal. With red being used for home matches, and blue for away. The pattern in some kits reflects the triangular shaping of the flag, namely the 2013 kit. Nepal's kits are mostly template kits, as opposed to a custom team-specific kit. This is because the Nepal national team isn't lucrative enough to afford kit partnership deals with manufacturers.
Very little is known about the history prior to 1998. However, during the1998 Asian Games inBangkok, the Nepali national team hired Bijay Shah to provide technical assistance to the squad, while also acting as the assistant coach. At the time, the team didn't have printed sportswear for the tournament. After printing makeshift kits, Bijay was inspired to start a T-shirt printing company known as , where through the partnership with a US printing company, and colleagues inSouth Korea, they produced their first batch of kits for the national team prior to the1999 South Asian Games.[16]
On 4 March 2019, ANFA has revealed two new jerseys for members of the national football team along with new national football anthem. The new jerseys have ANFA logo on the left where used to be national flag in the old jerseys. There is also national flag and picture of Mount Everest above the ANFA logo. This new sign is designed by Sandeep Tiwari.[17] ANFA also made provision of white jerseys for friendly matches.
In 2021, ANFA ended the contract withKelme, the previous kit sponsor, and signed withKTM CTY.[18]
| Kit provider | Period |
|---|---|
 Grand Sport | 1987–1993 |
 Admiral | 1993–1997 |
| FBT | 1997–1998 |
 Topper | 1998–2000 |
 Adidas | 2000–2001 |
| In-House | 2001–2004 |
| Mesuca | 2004–2005 |
| Adidas | 2005–2018 |
 Kelme | 2018–2021 |
| KTM CTY | 2021–2024 |
| Kelme | 2024–present |
During theANFA Cup, theAll Nepal Football Association occasionally entered two teams for Nepal; Nepal Red &Nepal Blue. This is very much akin to other South Asian teams such asPakistan B andBangladesh B. Nepal Red was a selection of Nepali players that played as the full Nepal national football team. Whereas, Nepal Blue was effectively the B-team.[19][20]
Most of the Nepali top players play in the Nepal Red team, and it is also described as "the Nepal senior team", and is captained by the regular national team captain. WhileNepal Blue is described as the "second string team".
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled. Win Draw Loss Fixture
v Nepal| 21 MarchFriendly | Singapore | 0–1 | Nepal | Kallang, Singapore |
| 20:30 UTC+8 | Report |
| Stadium:National Stadium Referee: Yusuke Ohashi (Japan) |
v Nepal| 25 March2027 ACQ R3 | Malaysia | 2–0 | Nepal | Johor, Malaysia |
| 22:00 UTC+8 | Report (AFC) | Stadium:Sultan Ibrahim Stadium Attendance: 7,895 Referee: Hiroki Kasahara (Japan) |
v Nepal| 5 JuneFriendly | Hong Kong | 0–0 | Nepal | Kowloon, Hong Kong |
| 20:00 UTC+8 | Report | Stadium:Hong Kong Stadium Attendance: 6,092 Referee: Wiwat Jumpaoon (Thailand) |
v Nepal| 10 June2027 ACQ R3 | Laos | 2–1 | Nepal | Vientiane, Laos |
| 19:00 UTC+7 |
| Report (AFC) | Stadium:New Laos National Stadium Attendance: 5,123 Referee: Nivon Robesh (Sri Lanka) |
v
Bangladesh| 6 SeptemberFriendly | Nepal | 0–0 | Bangladesh | Kathmandu, Nepal |
| 17:30 UTC+5:45 | Stadium:Dasharath Rangasala Referee: Ugyen Penjor (Bhutan) |
v Bangladesh| 9 SeptemberFriendly | Nepal | Cancelled | Bangladesh | Kathmandu, Nepal |
| 17:30 UTC+5:45 | Stadium:Dasharath Rangasala | |||
| Note: Cancelled due to the2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests. | ||||
v Nepal| 9 October2027 ACQ R3 | Vietnam | 3–1 | Nepal | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam[note 1] |
| 19:30 UTC+7 |
| Report (AFC) |
| Stadium:Gò Đậu Stadium Attendance: 8,597 Referee: Choi Hyun-jai (South Korea) |
v Vietnam| 14 October2027 ACQ R3 | Nepal | 0–1 | Vietnam | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam[note 3] |
| 20:00 UTC+7[note 2] | Report (AFC) | Stadium:Thống Nhất Stadium Attendance: 6,870 Referee: Mohamed Khaled (Bahrain) |
v Nepal| 13 NovemberFriendly | Bangladesh | 2–2 | Nepal | Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| 20:00 UTC+6 | Report | Stadium:National Stadium Referee: Kasun Lakmal Weerakkody (Sri Lanka) |
v Malaysia| 18 November 20252027 ACQ R3 | Nepal | 0–1 | Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia2 |
| 21:00 UTC+8 | Report (AFC) |
| Stadium:Bukit Jalil National Stadium Attendance: 14,243 Referee: Kim Dae-yong (South Korea) |
As of 20 March 2025
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Team manager | Nakul Hamal Thakuri |
| Ramesh Kumar Karki | |
| Head coach | Hari Khadka |
| Assistant coach | Salyan Khadgi |
| Technical Analyst |  Veljko Singh |
| Goalkeeping coach | Binod Maharjan |
| Physiotherapist | Nishant Joshi |
| Team Doctor | Raju Dangol Maharjan |
| Team Official | Bijay Kumar Gupta |
| Media Manager | Krishna Singh Lothyal |
The following 23 players were called up to the final squad for matches againstHong Kong andLaos.[51]
Caps and goals are correct as of 25 March 2025 after the game againstMalaysia.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1GK | Bishal Sunar | (2002-02-09)9 February 2002 (age 23) | 1 | 0 | Friends |
| 16 | 1GK | Kiran Chemjong(captain) | (1990-03-20)20 March 1990 (age 35) | 107 | 0 | Bangladesh Police |
| 22 | 1GK | Deep Karki | (1998-01-09)9 January 1998 (age 27) | 5 | 0 | Sankata |
| 2 | 2DF | Sanish Shrestha | (2000-11-09)9 November 2000 (age 25) | 22 | 0 | Brothers Union |
| 3 | 2DF | Suman Shrestha | (1999-09-05)5 September 1999 (age 26) | 3 | 0 |  ODI Sports |
| 4 | 2DF | Ananta Tamang | (1998-01-17)17 January 1998 (age 27) | 67 | 4 | Fortis FC |
| 5 | 2DF | Bimal Panday | (1990-01-21)21 January 1990 (age 35) | 7 | 0 | Nepal Army |
| 12 | 2DF | Sumit Shrestha | (2004-01-30)30 January 2004 (age 21) | 5 | 0 | New Road Team |
| 13 | 2DF | Abishek Limbu | (1999-08-21)21 August 1999 (age 26) | 3 | 0 | Rahmatganj MFS |
| 23 | 2DF | Rohit Chand | (1992-03-01)1 March 1992 (age 33) | 97 | 1 |  Persik Kediri |
| 6 | 3MF | Yogesh Gurung | (2002-03-17)17 March 2002 (age 23) | 2 | 0 | Brothers Union |
| 8 | 3MF | Arik Bista | (2000-03-17)17 March 2000 (age 25) | 29 | 0 | Brothers Union |
| 9 | 3MF | Rohan Karki | (2002-09-21)21 September 2002 (age 23) | 4 | 0 | Church Boys United |
| 10 | 3MF | Laken Limbu | (2002-07-24)24 July 2002 (age 23) | 16 | 0 |  Kirivong Sok Sen Chey |
| 15 | 3MF | Kritish Ratna Chhunju | (2003-04-11)11 April 2003 (age 22) | 0 | 0 | New Road Team |
| 17 | 3MF | Kushal Deuba | (2006-11-10)10 November 2006 (age 19) | 0 | 0 | Lalitpur City |
| 19 | 3MF | Ayush Ghalan | (2004-02-21)21 February 2004 (age 21) | 31 | 2 | Bangladesh Police |
| 20 | 3MF | Mani Kumar Lama | (1996-03-24)24 March 1996 (age 29) | 9 | 0 | APF FC |
| 21 | 3MF | Manish Dangi | (2001-09-17)17 September 2001 (age 24) | 38 | 4 | Machhindra |
| 7 | 4FW | Gillespye Jung Karki | (1998-11-19)19 November 1998 (age 27) | 15 | 3 | Nepal Army |
| 11 | 4FW | Subash Bam Thakuri | (2008-09-05)5 September 2008 (age 17) | 1 | 0 |  Siniloan Lions |
| 14 | 4FW | Anjan Bista | (1998-05-15)15 May 1998 (age 27) | 70 | 13 | Brothers Union |
| 27 | 4FW | Srijan Raj Gautam | (2002-07-17)17 July 2002 (age 23) | 1 | 0 | Chitwan |
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Abishek Baral | (2000-04-09)9 April 2000 (age 25) | 0 | 0 | Kathmandu Rayzrs | v. Singapore; 2 March 2025PRE |
| GK | Anjal Shrestha | (2000-12-01)1 December 2000 (age 24) | 0 | 0 | APF FC | v. Malaysia; 25 March 2025 |
| DF | Randip Paudel | (2002-10-06)6 October 2002 (age 23) | 1 | 0 | New Road Team | v. Malaysia; 25 March 2025 |
| DF | Anjan Rai | (1994-12-15)15 December 1994 (age 30) | 1 | 0 | Kathmandu Rayzrs | v. Singapore; 2 March 2025PRE |
| DF | Chhiring Lama | (2002-04-07)7 April 2002 (age 23) | 7 | 0 | Church Boys United | v. Singapore; 2 March 2025PRE |
| DF | Ashok Khawas | (1996-03-14)14 March 1996 (age 29) | 0 | 0 | Three Star | v. Singapore; 2 March 2025PRE |
| DF | Aashish Gurung | 0 | 0 | Sahara | v. Singapore; 2 March 2025PRE | |
| MF | Bharat Khawas | (1991-07-22)22 July 1991 (age 34) | 64 | 10 | Nepal Army | v. Malaysia; 25 March 2025 |
| FW | Rejin Subba | (2002-02-05)5 February 2002 (age 23) | 1 | 0 | Machhindra | v. Malaysia; 25 March 2025 |
| FW | Dinesh Henjan | (2001-02-03)3 February 2001 (age 24) | 6 | 0 | Lalitpur City | v. Singapore; 2 March 2025PRE |
| FW | Samir Tamang | (2006-01-01)1 January 2006 (age 19) | 1 | 0 | Free agent | v. Singapore; 2 March 2025PRE |
| FW | Nirajan Dhami | (2005-06-02)2 June 2005 (age 20) | 1 | 0 | Butwal Lumbini | v. Singapore; 2 March 2025PRE |
| ||||||
| Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiran Chemjong | 107 | 0 | 2008–present |
| 2 | Rohit Chand | 97 | 1 | 2009–present |
| 3 | Raju Kaji Shakya | 91 | 0 | 1982–1997 |
| 4 | Biraj Maharjan | 76 | 1 | 2008–2021 |
| 5 | Anjan Bista | 70 | 13 | 2014–present |
| 6 | Ananta Tamang | 67 | 4 | 2015–present |
| 7 | Sagar Thapa | 66 | 1 | 2003–2015 |
| 8 | Bharat Khawas | 64 | 10 | 2008–present |
| 9 | Nawayug Shrestha | 54 | 10 | 2015–present |
| 10 | Anil Gurung | 53 | 10 | 2007–2017 |
| Ju Manu Rai | 53 | 11 | 2006–2015 | |
| Sandip Rai | 53 | 4 | 2008–2015 |
| Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ganesh Thapa | 14 | 36 | 0.39 | 1982–1989 |
| 2 | Nirajan Rayamajhi | 13 | 21 | 0.62 | 2000–2008 |
| Hari Khadka | 13 | 39 | 0.33 | 1995–2006 | |
| Anjan Bista | 13 | 70 | 0.19 | 2014–present | |
| 5 | Ju Manu Rai | 11 | 53 | 0.21 | 2006–2015 |
| 6 | Anil Gurung | 10 | 53 | 0.19 | 2007–2017 |
| Nawayug Shrestha | 10 | 54 | 0.19 | 2015–present | |
| Bharat Khawas | 10 | 64 | 0.16 | 2008–present | |
| 9 | Bimal Gharti Magar | 9 | 44 | 0.2 | 2012–present |
| 10 | Basanta Thapa | 8 | 34 | 0.24 | 1998–2006 |
Champion Runners-up Third place Fourth place
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
| 1930 to1970 | Not a FIFA member | Not a FIFA member | |||||||||||||||||
| 1974 to1982 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||||
 1986 | Did not qualify | 3rd (Group 3A) | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 11 | −11 | 1 | |||||||||
 1990 | 4th (Group 4) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 28 | −28 | 0 | ||||||||||
 1994 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||||
 1998 | Did not qualify | 4th (Group 4) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 19 | −17 | 1 | |||||||||
 2002 | 3rd (Group 6) | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 25 | −12 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2006 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||||
 2010 | Did not qualify | Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0 | |||||||||
 2014 | Round 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 11 | −3 | 7 | ||||||||||
 2018 | Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 1 | ||||||||||
 2022 | Round 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 22 | −18 | 6 | ||||||||||
 2026 | Round 2 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 21 | –17 | 5 | ||||||||||
  2030 | To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||||
 2034 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 0/14 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8/22 | 46 | 7 | 6 | 33 | 31 | 143 | −112 | 27 | |
| Year | Position | Q | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1896 | No football tournament held | ||||||||||
 1900 - 1928 | Not an IOC Member | ||||||||||
 1932 | No football tournament held | ||||||||||
 1936 -1960 | Not an IOC Member | ||||||||||
1964 - 1988 | Did not enter | ||||||||||
| 1992 - present | SeeNepal under-23 football team1 (Age bar restriction after 1996, U23s only) | ||||||||||
| Total | — | 0/28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| AFC Asian Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Result | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
 1956 | Not an AFC member | Not an AFC member | |||||||||||||||||
 1960 | |||||||||||||||||||
 1964 | |||||||||||||||||||
 1968 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1972 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||||
| 1976 | |||||||||||||||||||
 1980 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1984 | Did not qualify | 5th (Group 2) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 30 | −30 | 0 | |||||||||
| 1988 | 5th (Group 3) | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 1 | ||||||||||
 1992 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||||
 1996 | Did not qualify | 4th (Group 5) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 26 | −24 | 0 | |||||||||
 2000 | 4th (Group 5) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 13 | −10 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 2004 | 4th (Group E) | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 45 | -41 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 2007 | Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Did not qualify | Withdrew and berth unsecured[a] | |||||||||||||||||
 2015 | 2014 AFC Challenge Cup | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Round 1[b] | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 2023 | Round 3 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 35 | −30 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2027 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 39 | 4 | 2 | 33 | 14 | 158 | −144 | 14 | |
| AFC Challenge Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Position | Pts | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
| 2006 | Semi-finals | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 7 | No qualification tournament | |||||||||
 2008 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 3 | 1st (Group D) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | |
 2010 | Did not qualify | 2nd (Group C) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 2 | ||||||||||
| 2012 | Round 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | −6 | 0 | 2nd (Group D) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +0 | 4 | |
| 2014 | Did not qualify | 3rd (Group D) | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 4 | ||||||||||
| Total | 3/5 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 10 | −2 | 10 | 4/4 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 6 | +6 | 16 | |
| Year | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Champions | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 10 |
| 2020 | Cancelled | ||||||||
| Total | 1/1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 10 |
| Year | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1993 | Third place | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 2 |
| 1995 | Fourth place | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 1997 | Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 |
| 1999 | Fourth place | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 3 |
| 2003 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 |
| 2005 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 |
| 2008 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 3 |
| 2009 | Round 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 |
| 2011 | Semi-finals | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 2013 | Semi-finals | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 7 |
| 2015 | Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 |
| 2018 | Semi-finals | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 6 |
| 2021 | Runners-up | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | –2 | 7 |
| 2023 | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | –3 | 3 |
| Total | 12/12 | 46 | 14 | 7 | 25 | 50 | 67 | –17 | 49 |
| Year | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Not an IOC Member | |||||||||
 1954 | ||||||||||
| 1958 | ||||||||||
| 1962 | ||||||||||
| 1966 | Withdrew | |||||||||
| 1970 | ||||||||||
| 1974 | ||||||||||
| 1978 | ||||||||||
| 1982 | Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | −8 | 0 | |
| 1986 | Round 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 17 | −17 | 0 | |
| 1990 | Withdrew | |||||||||
| 1994 | Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | −20 | 0 | |
| 1998 | Round 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | −6 | 0 | |
| Since2002 | SeeNepal national under-23 football team | |||||||||
| Total | 4/13 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 52 | −51 | 0 | |
| Year | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 |  Gold | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 6[c] | |
| 1985 |  Bronze | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | –1 | 4[c] | |
| 1987 |  Silver | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 4[c] | |
| 1989 | 4th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | –1 | 2 | |
| 1991 | 4th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | –3 | 1 | |
| 1993 | Gold | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 7 | |
| 1995 | 4th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 1999 | Silver | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 9 | |
| Since2001 | SeeNepal national under-23 football team | |||||||||
| Total | 2 titles | 27 | 12 | 4 | 11 | 43 | 32 | +11 | 36 | |
In these tournaments, Nepal was sometimes fielded as 'ANFA XI', 'Nepal XI', or 'Nepal Sports Development Authority' despite being the de facto national football team endorsed by theANFA.[citation needed]
Updated 18 November 2025 after match againstMalaysia
| More wins | |
| Equal wins/losses ratio | |
| More losses |
| Nepal national football team head-to-head records | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | From | To | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Confederation |
 Afghanistan | 2003 | 2024 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 4 | +8 | AFC |
| Australia | 2019 | 2021 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | -8 | AFC |
 Bahrain | 2024 | 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | −8 | AFC |
| Bangladesh | 1982 | 2025 | 30 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 25 | 36 | −11 | AFC |
| Bhutan | 1982 | 2023 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 7 | +38 | AFC |
 Brunei | 2016 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | AFC | |
| Cambodia | 2008 | 2008 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | AFC |
| China | 1972 | 1986 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 31 | −29 | AFC |
 Chinese Taipei | 2019 | 2021 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | AFC |
| Hong Kong | 1988 | 2025 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | AFC |
| India | 1985 | 2023 | 24 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 9 | 42 | −33 | AFC |
| Indonesia | 2014 | 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | −9 | AFC |
 Iran | 1982 | 1988 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 25 | −25 | AFC |
 Iraq | 1982 | 2021 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 22 | −17 | AFC |
| Japan | 1986 | 1998 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 28 | −28 | AFC |
 Jordan | 2011 | 2022 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 18 | -17 | AFC |
 Kazakhstan | 2001 | 2001 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | −10 | UEFA |
| Kuwait | 1982 | 2023 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 37 | −34 | AFC |
 Kyrgyzstan | 2003 | 2009 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | AFC |
| Laos | 2016 | 2025 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 8 | +2 | AFC |
| Malaysia | 1985 | 2025 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 26 | −26 | AFC |
 Macau | 1997 | 2016 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 7 | +9 | AFC |
| Maldives | 1984 | 2021 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 23 | −3 | AFC |
 Mauritius | 2022 | 2022 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | CAF |
 Myanmar | 2008 | 2023 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 | −10 | AFC |
 North Korea | 1985 | 2011 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 11 | −10 | AFC |
 Northern Mariana Islands | 2013 | 2013 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | AFC |
 Oman | 1982 | 2022 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 52 | −49 | AFC |
| Pakistan | 1982 | 2023 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 23 | 25 | −2 | AFC |
 Palestine | 2009 | 2018 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | −3 | AFC |
| Philippines | 1982 | 2017 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 15 | −13 | AFC |
| Saudi Arabia | 1984 | 1984 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | −7 | AFC |
| Sri Lanka | 1984 | 2021 | 17 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 20 | 25 | −5 | AFC |
| Singapore | 1982 | 2025 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 | −10 | AFC |
| South Korea | 1983 | 2003 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 55 | −54 | AFC |
 Syria | 1988 | 2012 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | −5 | AFC |
 Tajikistan | 2017 | 2024 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 11 | −10 | AFC |
| Thailand | 1982 | 2022 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 21 | -18 | AFC |
 Tibet | 1972 | 1979 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | +6 | CONIFA |
 Timor-Leste | 2011 | 2022 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 3 | +6 | AFC |
 Turkmenistan | 2002 | 2012 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | −8 | AFC |
| United Arab Emirates | 1984 | 2024 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | −19 | AFC |
| Vietnam | 2003 | 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 10 | −9 | AFC |
 Yemen | 2000 | 2024 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 11 | −8 | AFC |
| 44 Countries | 1972 | 2025 | 282 | 70 | 46 | 168 | 243 | 651 | −408 | FIFA |
| Last match updated was against Malaysiaon 18 November 2025. | ||||||||||
| Last meet up against South Asia countries | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponents | Score | Year | Outcome | Match type |
| Afghanistan | 16 November 2024 | 0−2 | Won | Friendly |
| Bangladesh | 27 September 2022 | 3−1 | Won | Int'l Friendly |
| Bhutan | 28 March 2023 | 1−1 | Draw | 2023 Three Nations Cup |
| India | 24 June 2023 | 2−0 | Lost | 2023 SAFF Championship |
| Maldives | 1 October 2021 | 0−1 | Won | 2021 SAFF Championship |
| Pakistan | 8 December 2024 | 0−1 | Won | 2023 SAFF Championship |
| Sri Lanka | 4 October 2021 | 2−3 | Won | 2021 SAFF Championship |
Champions (1):2016Only official honours are included, according toFIFA statutes (competitions organized/recognized byFIFA or an affiliated confederation).
| Competition | | | | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Solidarity Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
HCMC was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).Links to related articles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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