 | |||
| Nickname | The Blue Colts | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | All India Football Federation | ||
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Sub-confederation | SAFF (South Asia) | ||
| Head coach | Bibiano Fernandes | ||
| Captain | Singamayum Shami | ||
| FIFA code | IND | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
 Burma 1–1India  (Malaya; 19 April 1963)[1] | |||
| Biggest win | |||
India 8–0Nepal  (Bhubaneshwar, India; 31 July 2022)[2] India 8–0Sri Lanka  (Yupia, India; 9 May 2025)[3] | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
India 0–7Israel  (Bangkok,Thailand; 16 April 1972)[4] India 0–7South Korea  (Qatar; 25 October 2002)[5] India 0–7United Arab Emirates  (Qatar; 4 October 2015)[6] | |||
| Asian Cup | |||
| Appearances | 22 (first in1963) | ||
| Best result | Champions (1974) | ||
| OFC Youth Development Tournament | |||
| Appearances | 1 (first in2019) | ||
| Best result | Champions (2019) | ||
| SAFF Championship | |||
| Appearances | 7 (first in2015) | ||
| Best result | Champions (2019,2022,2023,2025) | ||
TheIndia national under-20 football team represents India at all international under-20 tournaments.[7] They act as the main feeder team for theIndia U-23 and the seniorIndian football team.
This team is for Indian players aged under 19 at the start of the calendar year in which a two-yearAFC U-19 Championship campaign begins, and as such, some players can remain with the squad until the age of 21. The team competes for theAsian Championship, with the finals every even-numbered year, formerly odd-numbered years. It is also eligible to participate in theSAFF U-20 Championship and theFIFA U-20 World Cup held every two years.
Beginning from2024-25 I-league season, the team is also eligible to participate in the I-league, the second division ofIndian Football League System.[8] Previously, the team has participated in the I-league, then the first and now second division of Indian football league system, since 2010 under the names ofAIFF XI,Palian Arrows and Indian Arrows. The team was disbanded in 2021 and revived as India U-20 in 2024.[9]
For the first four seasons ofAFC U-19 Championship, from1959 to1962 the Indian team did not enter into the tournament though there was no qualification round. India first participated in the AFC U-19 Championships in1963 but did not move ahead from the group stage.[10]1964 is where the first Kabui player, Basanta Kumar Kabui represented Manipur in an International event.[11][12][13]
The first best result came at the1966 edition where the team entered in the quarter finals with 3 wins against Burma, Japan and Singapore and a defeat by China but in the quarter final they lost to Israel by 4−0.[14] In the next edition at1967 AFC Youth Championship India again entered in the quarter final. First a draw of 1−1 against Israel and then defeating Malaysia by 4−1 but same as 1966 they again defeated in the quarter final, this time by Indonesia by 2−6.[15] In 1968, the team didn't move beyond group stage, and next two edition of1969 and1970 India did not enter in the championships.[16]
In1971, they again reached the quarter final for the third time in AFC championships, but the fate was same as again saw a defeat, now against Japan by 0−3. But, after a gap of two more edition, it was1974 AFC Youth Championship, where India saw the golden moment after becoming the champions of Asia.[17][18] First in group stage India defeat both Laos and Burma by 1−0 and a draw against Hong Kong by 2−2. Then entering in the quarter final they defeated Singapore by 1(4)−1(1), thus reached semi-finals where defeating Thailand by 2−1, for the first time India reached the final of the Championship. But the final was a draw againstIran by 2−2 thus jointly awarded both the team as the Champions.[19][20][21] In 1975 and 1976 edition, India didn't do much well but at1977 AFC Youth Championship they reached the quarter final but the opponent was Iran, the defending Champion who defeated India by 3−0, thus failed to qualify for the firstFIFA World Youth Championship in1977 which later came to be known as FIFA U-20 World Cup and also failed to qualify at the1979 edition.[22]
These two decades saw a decline in the performance of the Indian team. Qualification round started from1980 AFC Youth Championship and India failed to qualify in 6 out of 11 edition of the championships and in rest 5 edition the failed to move beyond the group stage, thus also failed to qualify for theFIFA U-20 World Cup as the finalist were only to be qualified for the competition.[23]
In the2002, at theAFC U-19 Championship, India reached the quarter final for the 6th time, by the virtue of third-place qualifiers, but defeated heavily by South Korea, where the Korean found the Indian net 7 times.[24] Next two editions they ended their competition in group stages and next 7 editions from2008 to2018, India failed to qualify again for the championships and so for the FIFA U20 Worldcup.
In the meanwhile,SAFF startedSAFF U-20 Championship from2015 to develop the youth teams of South Asian countries as they continuously failing to qualify for AFC U-20 championships. In the 2015 inaugural edition, India became runners-up facing a defeat from Nepal through a penalty shoot out. In the next edition in2017, the tournament was a round robin, where India saw two wins against Bhutan and Maldives and two defeats from Bangladesh and Nepal, thus achieved the third place in the tournament.[25]
The AIFF finally acted with the international exposure to the youth and under 17 teams.India's U-20 team was invited to participate inCotif Tournament where clubs and national and autonomous teams participate every year since 1984, held at Valencia, Spain.2018 Cotif was 35th Anniversary of the tournament.[26] Though India lost two consecutive matches against Spanish club Murcia then against Mauritania, they managed a 0–0 draw[27] against a stronger Latin American side ofVenezuela, but on the final group match on 5 August 2018, the Indian side wrote a piece of history when they defeated the most successfulU-20 Worldcup winning nationArgentina. The match was historic in many ways, when Indian defenderDeepak Tangri headed a corner kick to the net of Argentine side, it was the first goal against them by any Indian side, then with a second goal byAnwar Ali with a fabulous free kick helped India to win the match with a score of 2−1 against the stronger Argentine side, made a history as it is the first time that any Indian team defeated any Argentina side or anySouth American national team.[28][29][30]Argentina national team managerScaloni and Argentine greatPablo Aimar praised the young colt's performances and said the future of the team is bright if there is continued perseverance.[31]AIFF called it as one of the"biggest days for Indian Football" as team coach said"This victory will definitely earn Indian football more respect in the world of football. It opens up a window of opportunity to test ourselves against the best in the world on a regular basis".[32]
Just after the Cotif experience, AIFF announced the team was invited to play in a four-nation tournament between under-20 national teams ofFrance,Croatia andSlovenia and two friendlies againstSerbia.[33] This was the first time India was playing in a 4-nations tournament in which all the opponents are European nations.[34][35] In the first match the team faced a big defeat against a mightierCroatian team by 0−5.[36] The second match was againstSlovenia, where they played very well within 90 minutes but failed to convert various chances and on the last minute of injury time the Slovenian side found the net, match ended in 0−1 defeat.[37] Third match was againstFrance, which India lost by 2−0.[38] In the friendlies against Serbia India saw defeat in both the matches, first by 2−0[39] and second by 3−1 where Rahim Ali managed to find the net once.[40]
At the South Asian level India won their first U-20 SAFF title in2019. They defeated Bangladesh 2–1 in the final.[41] Team India also won the inauguralOFC Youth Development Tournament in2019, after beating Tahiti 2–0.[42] India defended their SAFF title in2022 by defeating Bangladesh again in the final, this time by an even bigger score of 5–2.[43] It was also in the same tournament that the team recorded their biggest ever victory when they dismantled Nepal 8–0.[44][45] India won their third title in a row by defeating arch-rivalsPakistan in the final of the SAFF championship in2023 by a margin of 3–0.[46][47]
In 2024, India faced Bhutan and Maldives inSAFF U-20 Championship in Nepal. They won their two group games by 1 goal each against Bhutan and Maldives but got drubbed by Bangladesh in semi-finals during penalty-shootouts.[48] India once again failed to qualify for2025 AFC U-20 Asian Cup in China. The team won 4–1 overMongolia and 2–0 overLaos but fell to Iran by 0–1 in the qualifiers.[49][50][51]
India participated in 20252025 U-20 Challenge Series in Indonesia, with Syria, Jordan and hosts Indonesia.[52][53] The team lost all their matches with scoring only one goal against Syria. After the tournament formerBengaluru FC andIndia Under-17 coachBibiano Fernandes was called to lead the team.[54] India had a dominant run in2025 SAFF Under-19 Championship, beating Sri Lanka and Nepal by the score of 8–0 and 4–0 respectively.[55] India then defeated Maldives by 3–0 in the semi-finals.[56] The team faced Bangladesh in the final and beat them at penalty-shootouts after the game ended 1–1 in regular time.[57]
For past match results of the under-20 team, see the results inIndian football seasons.
Matches in the last 12 months, and future scheduled matches
Win Draw Loss Fixture
v India| 19 August 2024 (2024-08-19)2024 SAFF U-20 GS | Bhutan | 0–1 | India | Lalitpur, Nepal |
| 14:45IST | Kinley Gyeltshen 69' | SAFF |
| Stadium:ANFA Complex Attendance: 223 Referee: Shyamlal Danuwar (Nepal) |
v
Maldives| 23 August 2024 (2024-08-23)2024 SAFF U-20 GS | India | 1–0 | Maldives | Lalitpur, Nepal |
| 14:45IST | Manglenthang Kipgen 90+5' | SAFF | Stadium:ANFA Complex Attendance: 440 Referee: Mohamed Jafran Athambawa (Sri Lanka) |
v
Bangladesh| 26 August 2024 (2024-08-26)2024 SAFF U-20 SF | India | 1–1 (3–4p) | Bangladesh | Lalitpur, Nepal |
| 14:45IST | Ricky Meetei Haobam 75' | SAFF |
| Stadium:ANFA Complex Attendance: 3,243 Referee: Shyamlal Danuwar (Nepal) |
| Penalties | ||||
| ||||
v India| 25 September 2024 (2024-09-25)2025 AFC U-20 ACQ | Mongolia | 1–4 | India | Vientiane, Laos |
| 14:30IST |
| AFC |
| Stadium:New Laos National Stadium Attendance: 132 Referee: Wong Wai Lun (Hong Kong) |
v
Iran| 27 September 2024 (2024-09-27)2025 AFC U-20 ACQ | India | 0–1 | Iran | Vientiane, Laos |
| 14:30IST | AFC | Yousef Mazraeh 88' | Stadium:New Laos National Stadium Attendance: 142 Referee: Asker Nadjafaliyev (Uzbekistan) |
v
Laos| 29 September 2024 (2024-09-29)2025 AFC U-20 ACQ | India | 2–0 | Laos | Vientiane, Laos |
| 17:30IST |
| AFC | Stadium:New Laos National Stadium Attendance: 3,323 Referee: Shukri Al-Hunfush (Saudi Arabia) |
v
Syria| 24 January 2025 (2025-01-24)U20 Challenge Series | India | 1–6 | Syria | Sidoarjo, Indonesia |
| 14:30IST | M. Malngiang 63' | AIFF |
| Stadium:Gelora Delta Stadium |
v India| 27 January 2025 (2025-01-27)U20 Challenge Series | Jordan | 5–0 | India | Sidoarjo, Indonesia |
| 14:30IST |
| AIFF | Stadium:Gelora Delta Stadium |
v India| 30 January 2025 (2025-01-30)U20 Challenge Series | Indonesia | 4–0 | India | Sidoarjo, Indonesia |
| 18:00IST |
| AIFF | Stadium:Gelora Delta Stadium |
v Sri Lanka| 9 May 2025 (2025-05-09)2025 SAFF U-19 GS | India | 8–0 | Sri Lanka | Yupia, India |
| 17:00IST |
| SAFF | Stadium:Golden Jubilee Stadium Attendance: 5,328 Referee: S.M. Jasim Akhter (Bangladesh) |
v Nepal| 13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)2025 SAFF U-19 GS | India | 4–0 | Nepal | Yupia, India |
| 17:00IST |
| SAFF | Stadium:Golden Jubilee Stadium Attendance: 2,500 Referee: Zaheer Hussain (Maldives) |
v Maldives| 16 May 20252025 SAFF U-19 SF | India | 3–0 | Maldives | Yupia, India |
| 19:30 |
| SAFF | Stadium:Golden Jubilee Stadium Attendance: 5,000~+ Referee: SM Jasim Akhter (Bangladesh) |
v India| 18 May 20252025 SAFF U-19 SF | Bangladesh | 1–1 (3–4p) | India | Yupia, India |
| 19:00 |
| SAFF |
| Stadium:Golden Jubilee Stadium Attendance: 12,789 Referee: Mohamed Jafran Athambawa (Sri Lanka) |
| Penalties | ||||
|
| |||
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bibiano Fernandes[58] |
| Goalkeeping coach | Dipankar Choudhury |
| Physiotherapist | John Lysanias Daniel |
| Strength and conditioning coach | Chelston Brandon Pinto |
| Analyst | Prajval Vijay Chakravarthy |
| Team manager | Shafeeq Hassan Madathil |
The following players were called up for the2025 SAFF U-19 Championship between 9–18 May 2025.[59]
Caps and goals are correct as of 20 January 2024, before the match againstSri Lanka.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1GK | Aheibam Suraj Singh | (2008-02-18)18 February 2008 (age 17) | 4 | 0 | Classic FA | |
| 1GK | Aarush Raju Hari | (2008-12-13)13 December 2008 (age 16) | 0 | 0 | Reliance Foundation | |
| 1GK | Rohit Ramesh | (2008-03-02)2 March 2008 (age 17) | 0 | 0 | East Bengal | |
| 2DF | Thokchom Malemngamba Singh | (2007-10-15)15 October 2007 (age 18) | 9 | 0 | Bengaluru | |
| 2DF | Brahmacharimayum Sumit Sharma | (2007-03-05)5 March 2007 (age 18) | 4 | 0 | Kerala Blasters | |
| 2DF | Jodric Abranches | 4 | 0 | Dempo | ||
| 2DF | Ashik Adhikari | (2007-01-17)17 January 2007 (age 18) | 1 | 0 | Bengaluru | |
| 2DF | Takhellambam Bungson Singh | (2007-03-05)5 March 2007 (age 18) | 0 | 0 | Classic FA | |
| 2DF | Thangjam Roshan Singh | (2007-01-02)2 January 2007 (age 18) | 2 | 1 | Classic FA | |
| 2DF | Mohammed Kaif | (2008-05-26)26 May 2008 (age 17) | 0 | 0 | Diamond Harbour | |
| 3MF | Gurnaj Singh Grewal | (2007-01-09)9 January 2007 (age 18) | 5 | 0 | East Bengal | |
| 3MF | Danny Meitei | (2007-11-20)20 November 2007 (age 18) | 6 | 5 | NorthEast United | |
| 3MF | MD Arbash | (2008-09-29)29 September 2008 (age 17) | 4 | 1 | Classic FA | |
| 3MF | Ninghthoukhongjam Rishi Singh | (2008-03-23)23 March 2008 (age 17) | 3 | 0 | Classic FA | |
| 3MF | Ahongshangbam Samson | (2008-12-23)23 December 2008 (age 16) | 2 | 0 | Classic FA | |
| 4FW | Yohaan Benjamin | (2007-08-29)29 August 2007 (age 18) | 1 | 0 |  NK Bravo | |
| 4FW | Hemneichung Lunkim | 3 | 0 | Delhi | ||
| 4FW | Rohen Singh | (2007-04-22)22 April 2007 (age 18) | 4 | 2 | Alchemy Inter | |
| 3MF | Singamayum Shami(Captain) | (2007-04-18)18 April 2007 (age 18) | 4 | 2 | Punjab | |
| 4FW | Bharat Lairenjam | (2008-04-03)3 April 2008 (age 17) | 4 | 0 | Mohun Bagan Super Giant | |
| 4FW | Omang Dodum | (2007-07-07)7 July 2007 (age 18) | 4 | 3 | Punjab | |
| 4FW | Jajo Prashan | (2007-02-22)22 February 2007 (age 18) | 4 | 3 | Sudeva Delhi | |
The following footballers were part of national selection in the past twelve months, but are not part of the current call-up.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Alsabith Sulaiman Thekkekaramel | (2007-07-01)1 July 2007 (age 18) | 0 | 0 | Kerala Blasters | |
| GK | Karan Makkar | (2007-03-20)20 March 2007 (age 18) | 0 | 0 | Jamshedpur | |
| GK | Lionel Daryl Rymmei | (2005-08-15)15 August 2005 (age 20) | 0 | 0 | Goa | vs Bangladesh, August 2024 |
| GK | Sahil Poonia | (2006-03-08)8 March 2006 (age 19) | 2 | 0 | Bengaluru | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| GK | Priyansh Dubey | (2006-07-22)22 July 2006 (age 19) | 4 | 0 | RFYC | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| GK | Divyaj Dhaval Thakkar | (2005-03-12)12 March 2005 (age 20) | 0 | 0 | Alchemy FA | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| DF | Yaipharemba Chingakham | (2008-02-06)6 February 2008 (age 17) | 0 | 0 | Classic FA | |
| DF | Afinmon Baiju | 0 | 0 | Muthoot FA | ||
| DF | Mukul Panwar | (2007-08-03)3 August 2007 (age 18) | 0 | 0 | NorthEast United | |
| DF | Ricky Meetei Haobam | (2006-08-30)30 August 2006 (age 19) | 3 | 1 | Bengaluru | vs Bangladesh, August 2024 |
| DF | Lambalmayum Hemba Meetei | (2006-08-08)8 August 2006 (age 19) | 3 | 0 | SAI Trivandrum | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| DF | Manabir Basumatary | (2005-03-17)17 March 2005 (age 20) | 0 | 0 | Kerala United | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| DF | Thomas Kanamoottil Cherian | (2005-06-01)1 June 2005 (age 20) | 6 | 0 | Kerala Blasters | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| DF | Pramveer | (2007-06-20)20 June 2007 (age 18) | 5 | 0 | Punjab | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| DF | Malemngamba Singh Thokchom | (2007-10-15)15 October 2007 (age 18) | 6 | 0 | Bengaluru | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| DF | Surajkumar Singh Ngangbam | (2006-06-28)28 June 2006 (age 19) | 3 | 0 | Bengaluru | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| DF | Sonam Tsewang Lhokham | (2006-11-28)28 November 2006 (age 18) | 0 | 0 | Jamshedpur | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| DF | Dhanajit Ashangbam | (2006-12-27)27 December 2006 (age 18) | 0 | 0 | Delhi | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| MF | Mahmad Sami | (2008-02-03)3 February 2008 (age 17) | 0 | 0 | Sudeva Delhi | |
| MF | Levis Zangminlun | (2008-01-07)7 January 2008 (age 17) | 0 | 0 | Sreenidi Deccan | |
| MF | Manbhakupar Malngiang | (2008-01-05)5 January 2008 (age 17) | 2 | 1 | BBFS | |
| MF | Ngamgouhou Mate | (2008-05-03)3 May 2008 (age 17) | 0 | 0 | NorthEast United | |
| MF | Manjot Singh Dhami | (2006-10-25)25 October 2006 (age 19) | 5 | 0 | Bengaluru | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| MF | Ishaan Shishodia | (2005-08-31)31 August 2005 (age 20) | 0 | 0 | Mumbai City | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| MF | Ebindas Yesudasan | (2005-04-19)19 April 2005 (age 20) | 6 | 0 | Kerala Blasters | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| MF | Manglenthang Kipgen | (2005-06-03)3 June 2005 (age 20) | 6 | 3 | Punjab | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| MF | Akash Tirkey | (2006-09-19)19 September 2006 (age 19) | 4 | 0 | Delhi | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| MF | Vanlalpeka Guite | (2006-10-23)23 October 2006 (age 19) | 3 | 0 | East Bengal | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| FW | Lemmet Tangvah | (2007-12-24)24 December 2007 (age 17) | 0 | 0 | Goa | |
| FW | Sujin S | (2007-08-30)30 August 2007 (age 18) | 0 | 0 | Kerala Blasters | |
| FW | Mohd. Zulkif | (2008-01-22)22 January 2008 (age 17) | 0 | 0 | Himalayan FC | |
| FW | Korou Singh Thingujam | (2006-12-03)3 December 2006 (age 18) | 6 | 1 | Kerala Blasters | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| FW | Gwgwmsar Goyary | (2005-05-31)31 May 2005 (age 20) | 6 | 1 | Delhi | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| FW | Monirul Molla | (2005-05-01)1 May 2005 (age 20) | 4 | 1 | Bengaluru | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| FW | Naoba Meitei Pangambam | (2005-03-01)1 March 2005 (age 20) | 5 | 0 | Rajasthan United | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| FW | Kelvin Singh Taorem | (2005-11-22)22 November 2005 (age 20) | 6 | 1 | Bengaluru | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| FW | Aadi Sagale | (2008-09-23)23 September 2008 (age 17) | 8 | 8 |  Real Madrid Castilla | vs Laos, 29 September 2024 |
| FIFA U-20 World Cup record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host/Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD |
| FIFA World Youth Championship | |||||||||
 1977 to 2005 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| FIFA U-20 World Cup | |||||||||
 2007 to 2025 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
  2027 | To be determined | ||||||||
| Total | 0/25 | 0 titles | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| AFC U-20 Asian Cup record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host/Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD |
 1959to  1962 | Did not enter | ||||||||
| 1963 | Group stage | 7th | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | +1 |
 1964 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 |
 1965 | Group stage | 7th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | −3 |
 1966 | Quarter final | 5th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 |
| 1967 | Quarter final | 7th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 8 | −1 |
| 1968 | Group stage | 11th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 1969 | Did not enter | ||||||||
| 1970 | |||||||||
| 1971 | Quarter final | 6th | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| 1972 | Group stage | 11th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 11 | −3 |
 1973 | Group stage | 10th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 |
| 1974 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 6 | +3 |
 1975 | Group stage | 13th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 |
| 1976 | Group stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 |
| 1977 | Quarter final | 5th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 |
| 1978 | Group stage | 6th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | −1 |
| 1980 to 1982 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| 1985 | Did not enter | ||||||||
 1986 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | −6 |
 1988 | Did not enter | ||||||||
| 1990 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 |
| 1992 | Group stage | 8th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | −7 |
| 1994 | Did not enter | ||||||||
| 1996 | Group stage | 8th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | −4 |
| 1998 | Group stage | 10th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 10 | −7 |
| 2000 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| 2002 | Quarter final | 8th | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 | −6 |
| 2004 | Group stage | 13th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | −3 |
| 2006 | Group stage | 13th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 |
| 2008 to  2025 | Did not qualify | ||||||||
| Total | 22/40 | 1 Title | 80 | 20 | 18 | 42 | 95 | 145 | −50 |
| SAFF U-18/U-19/U-20 Championship record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Host/Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 2015 | Runners-up | 2nd | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 |
| 2017 | Third place | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 |
| 2019 | Champions | 1st | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | +8 |
| 2022 | Champions | 1st | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 4 | +15 |
| 2023 | Champions | 1st | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 2 | +7 |
| 2024 | Semi-final | 3rd | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 |
| 2025 | Champions | 1st | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 1 | +15 |
| Total | 7/7 | 4 Titles | 28 | 19 | 6 | 3 | 70 | 17 | +53 |
| SAFF U-20 Championship history | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Score | Result |
| 2015 | Group B | India 2–0 Afghanistan | Win |
| India 3–0 Maldives | Win | ||
| Semi-final | India 0–0 Bangladesh (4–3)P | Draw | |
| Final | India 1–1 Nepal (4–5)P | Draw | |
| 2017 | Round robin | India 3–4 Bangladesh | Loss |
| India 3–0 Bhutan | Win | ||
| India 2–1 Maldives | Win | ||
| India 0–2 Nepal | Loss | ||
| 2019 | Group B | India 0–0 Bangladesh | Draw |
| India 3–0 Sri Lanka | Win | ||
| Semi-final | India 4–0 Maldives | Win | |
| Final | India 2–1 Bangladesh | Win | |
| 2022 | Round Robin | India 1–2 Bangladesh | Loss |
| India 4–0 Sri Lanka | Win | ||
| India 8–0 Nepal | Win | ||
| India 1–0 Maldives | Win | ||
| Final | India 5–2 Bangladesh | Win | |
| 2023 | Group B | India 3–0 Bangladesh | Win |
| India 2–1 Bhutan | Win | ||
| Semi-final | India 1–1 Nepal (5–4)P | Draw | |
| Final | India 3–0 Pakistan | Win | |
| 2024 | Group B | India 1–0 Bhutan | Win |
| India 1–0 Maldives | Win | ||
| Semi-final | India 1–1 Bangladesh (3–4)P | Draw | |
| 2025 | Group B | India 8–0 Sri Lanka | Win |
| India 4–0 Nepal | Win | ||
| Semi-final | India 3–0 Maldives | Win | |
| Final | India 1–1 Bangladesh (4–3)P | Draw | |
Bangladesh (excluding friendlies & minor tournaments)| Competition | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIFA U-20 World Cup | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | !— |
| AFC U-20 Asian Cup | 80 | 19 | 18 | 43 | 94 | 146 | −52 | 023.75 |
| AFC U-20 Asian Cup Qualification | 63 | 25 | 9 | 29 | 93 | 91 | +2 | 039.68 |
| SAFF U-20 Championship | 28 | 19 | 6 | 3 | 70 | 17 | +53 | 067.86 |
| Total | 171 | 63 | 33 | 75 | 257 | 254 | +3 | 036.84 |
Bangladesh (excluding friendlies & minor tournaments)The following table shows India's head-to-head record in the official tournaments ofAFC U-20 Asian Cup (including qualifiers) andSAFF U-20 Championship.
Positive Record Neutral Record Negative Record
| Opponent | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | +0 | 050.00 |
 Australia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 000.00 |
 Bahrain | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 000.00 |
| Bangladesh | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 26 | 12 | +14 | 038.46 |
| Bhutan | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 3 | +14 | 100.00 |
 Cambodia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 100.00 |
| China | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 000.00 |
 Chinese Taipei | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 050.00 |
 Hong Kong | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | +0 | 000.00 |
| Indonesia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 033.33 |
| Iran | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 16 | −13 | 000.00 |
 Iraq | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 13 | −11 | 000.00 |
| Israel | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 14 | −13 | 000.00 |
| Japan | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 11 | −6 | 016.67 |
| Jordan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 000.00 |
 Kazakhstan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 000.00 |
| Kuwait | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 066.67 |
 Kyrgyzstan | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 050.00 |
| Laos | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 066.67 |
 Lebanon | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 000.00 |
| Malaysia | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 028.57 |
| Maldives | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2 | +16 | 100.00 |
| Mongolia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 100.00 |
 Myanmar | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 9 | −2 | 028.57 |
 North Korea | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 033.33 |
| Nepal | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 27 | 8 | +19 | 053.85 |
 Oman | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 000.00 |
| Pakistan | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 5 | +15 | 075.00 |
 Palestine | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 000.00 |
| Philippines | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 100.00 |
| Qatar | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 000.00 |
| Saudi Arabia | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 29 | −27 | 000.00 |
 Singapore | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 050.00 |
| South Korea | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 16 | −14 | 000.00 |
| Sri Lanka | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | +32 | 100.00 |
| Syria | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 000.00 |
 Tajikistan | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 000.00 |
| Thailand | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 020.00 |
 Turkmenistan | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 050.00 |
| United Arab Emirates | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | −10 | 000.00 |
| Uzbekistan | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 000.00 |
 Vietnam | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | 000.00 |
 Yemen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 000.00 |
| Total | 171 | 63 | 33 | 75 | 257 | 254 | +3 | 036.84 |
| Men's | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | Futsal | Beach soccer | Under-23 | Under-20 | Under-17 |
| Women's | |||||
| Senior | Futsal | Under-20 | Under-17 | ||
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Asian Champions 1974 (first title) | Succeeded by |
| National teams |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League system |
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| Cup competitions |
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| Defunct competitions |
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| Others | |||||||||
AFC U-20 Asian Cup winners | |
|---|---|
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