Jamil spent most of his playing career atMahindra United,Air India andMumbai.[4] and represented theIndian national team on 40 occasions. After taking an early retirement in 2009 due to injuries, he pursued a career in football management.
He is the first Indian coach to be appointed as a permanent head coach of an ISL club and the only Indian coach to qualify for the ISL playoffs, which he achieved with NorthEast United in the2020–21 season.[7][8]
In August 2025, he was appointed as the head coach of theIndia national team.
Jamil was born on 21 April 1977 inKuwait City, Kuwait to IndianPunjabi parents. While in Kuwait, Jamil went to an under-14 camp and metMichel Platini who was then theFrance national football team's coach. Platini has been Jamil's favorite player ever since.[9] He moved to India later and was offered a contract fromEast Bengal andMohun Bagan but rejected them as the clubs were sponsored by an alcohol company.[9]
Jamil started his professional career withMahindra United of theNational Football League in 1997 but did not play during the 1997–98 season and left forAir India in 1998.[10] During the 2000–01 season Jamil made his first professional appearances with Air India and reportedly got an offer to join a football club fromBrunei but rejected the offer, which he still regrets.[9] He then went back to Mahindra United in 2002 but barely played due to many injuries which eventually led to early retirement. He then joinedMumbai in 2007 but did not play a single game with them during his two years with the club. In 2009 Jamil announced his retirement.
Jamil made his international debut in a friendly match againstUzbekistan in 1998. He later appeared in2002 World Cup Qualifiers, where they defeated teams like United Arab Emirates, Brunei and Yemen. India secured 11 points from 6 matches, same as Yemen, but finished behind them due to an inferior goal difference.[11]
After retiring from playing, Jamil went straight into management and started with his last playing clubMumbai of theI-League in 2009. Mumbai managed to finish at 11th in the table, over relegation zone in the2009–10 I-League, regarded as a great outcome considering the limited financial resources at his disposal.[13] Jamil led Mumbai to 7th in2010–11 I-League,[14] and back-to-back 6th placed finishes in2014-15 and2015-16, keeping the club in the top-flight for straight seven seasons while lacking financial back-up.[15]
After the title-winning season with Aizawl, Jamil joinedEast Bengal as the head coach[17] on 1 July 2017 ahead of the2017–18 I-League season won a record breaking ₹12.5 million deal, making him the then highest paid Indian coach in the history of India's top-tier leagues.[18]
Jamil was handed over the interim role again in the2020–21 season after head coachGerard Nus parted ways with club mid-season[22] NorthEast United went on a ten-game unbeaten run under him and advanced to2021 Indian Super League playoffs, only for the second time in club's history, and Jamil became the first Indian coach to reach the ISL playoffs.[23][8]
On 23 October 2021, Jamil was appointed as the head coach of NorthEast United, making him the first Indian permanent head coach of an ISL club.[7] Under his guidance, NorthEast began its2021–22 Indian Super League campaign on 20 November with a 4–2 loss toBengaluru FC.[24]
On 30 May 2022,Bengaluru United announced the appointment of Khalid Jamil as their head coach for the upcoming season.[25][26][27] Later in 2023, the club participated in prestigiousStafford Challenge Cup, in which they clinched title defeating Chennaiyin FC Reserves in final.[28][29][30] On 13 March, he was succeeded by Spanish coachFernando Santiago Varela in the post.[31][32]
On 31 December 2023, it was announced that Jamil had been appointed as the head coach ofJamshedpur for the remainder of theseason after their previous coach,Scott Cooper, parted ways with the club.[34]
Jamil's first match as Jamshedpur head coach came on January 10 in the2024 Super Cup group stage, against former club NorthEast United. Jamshedpur won the match 2–1, thanks to a late goal from forwardSteve Ambri.[35] Following wins againstKerala Blasters andShillong Lajong, Jamshedpur finished first in their group.[36] However, they were then knocked out in the semi-final, following a 2–0 loss toEast Bengal.[36]
His first ISL match with Jamshedpur again came against NorthEast United, this time ending in a 1–1 draw.[37] In their first half-season under Jamil, Jamshedpur finished in 11th.[38]
On 1 August 2025, Jamil was announced as the head coach of theIndia national team.[39] He became the first Indian to be appointed head coach of the national team in 13 years, succeedingSavio Medeira, whose tenure ended in 2012.[40] On 13 August 2025, he signed a two-year contract, with an option to extend for another year.[3]
On 25 August 2025, Jamil announced India's 23-man squad for their debut appearance in theCAFA Nations Cup.[41] He led India to a 2–1 victory overTajikistan in his debut game,[42] marking the team's first win against Tajikistan in 17 years.[43] In the third place match vsOman, the score ended 1–1 with India winning on penalties 3–2. This marked India's first victory in 31 years, and winning India the third place medal.[44]
^"দেশ ছাড়ছেন ভারতীয় ফুটবল কোচ খালিদ জামিল" [Indian football coach Khalid Jamil leaving India to join Nepali club].kolkata24x7.in (in Bengali). Kolkata: Kolkata 24×7 Sports Desk. 29 September 2023. Archived fromthe original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved29 September 2023.
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