The Afghanistan national football team represents Afghanistan in men's international football and is controlled by the Afghanistan Football Federation. The Afghanistan Football Federation was established in 1922 and joined FIFA in 1948. It was also one of the founding members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 1954.
Afghanistan claimed their first international football title and marked a historic moment for Afghan football when they became champions of the 2013 tournament of the SAFF Championship.
Afghanistan played its first official international match under FIFA at the 1948 Summer Olympics, where it faced Luxembourg on 26 July and lost 6âÂÂ0. Before 2002, the last recorded international appearance for the team was in the 1984 AFC Asian Cup qualification, where they lost 6âÂÂ1 to Jordan on 20 September. The team did not participate in international football between 1984 and 2002 due to political instability, including the Soviet invasion, civil war, and Taliban rule, which banned recreational activities such as football.
Following the fall of the Taliban regime, Afghanistan re-entered the international football scene in 2002.
In 2003, the national team competed in the 2003 SAFF Gold Cup, but suffered defeats in all group stage matches against India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Later that year, Afghanistan took part in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification, managing a win against Kyrgyzstan but falling short after a loss to Nepal, thus failing to advance. The team also entered the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time, where they were eliminated by Turkmenistan with a 13âÂÂ0 aggregate score.
In the 2005 SAFF Gold Cup held in Karachi, Pakistan, Afghanistan was defeated by the Maldives. During the inaugural 2006 AFC Challenge Cup, the team earned draws against both Chinese Taipei and the Philippines, with goals from Hafizullah Qadami and Sayed Maqsood Hashemi securing the results.
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, Afghanistan was knocked out by Syria. The team participated in the 2008 SAFF Championship, where they lost to Bhutan and drew with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. However, they managed to top their qualification group for the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup but were eliminated in the final tournament after three consecutive defeats to India, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
In the 2009 SAFF Championship, Afghanistan lost all three group matchesâÂÂagainst Maldives, India, and NepalâÂÂwith their sole goal of the tournament scored by Hashmatullah Barakzai in a 3âÂÂ1 loss to the Maldives.
Afghanistan entered their third World Cup qualification campaign and faced Palestine in the preliminary round. The first leg was played in Tajikistan due to security concerns and ended in defeat. The second leg in Palestine ended in a 1âÂÂ1 draw, with Balal Arezou scoring for Afghanistan, resulting in their elimination.
In the 2011 SAFF Championship, Afghanistan achieved a dominant 8âÂÂ1 victory over Bhutan, marking their second-biggest win in history. Balal Arezou scored four goals in that match. Afghanistan advanced to the semi-finals for the first time, defeating Nepal 1âÂÂ0 after extra time, with Arezou scoring in the 101st minute. In the final, they lost 4âÂÂ0 to India.
Afghanistan progressed from the first round of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification by defeating Bhutan over two legs. In the second round, they were eliminated after losses to Nepal and North Korea, despite a win over Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan entered the 2013 SAFF Championship as the highest FIFA-ranked team in the tournament, standing at 139th globally. They opened the competition with a dominant 3âÂÂ0 victory over Bhutan, with goals scored by AmiriâÂÂregarded as one of Afghanistan's greatest playersâÂÂAzadzoy, and Barakzai.
In their second group stage match, they continued their strong form with a 3âÂÂ1 win over Sri Lanka, thanks to goals from Rafi, Amiri, and Barakzai.
In the semi-finals, Afghanistan faced host nation Nepal and secured a hard-fought 1âÂÂ0 win, with Sandjar Ahmadi scoring the only goal in the 11th minute.
The final was a rematch of the 2011 edition against India. This time, Afghanistan prevailed with a 2âÂÂ0 victory, claiming their first-ever international football title and marking a historic moment for Afghan football.
Afghanistan reached the semi-finals of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup but lost 2âÂÂ0 to eventual champions Palestine. In the third-place match, they drew 1âÂÂ1 with the Maldives and lost 8âÂÂ7 in a penalty shootout. On 10 June 2014, the Afghanistan Football Federation moved from the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) to the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA). Later that year, the federation received the FIFA Fair Play Award at the 2014 Ballon d'Or Gala for its efforts to promote football under difficult circumstances.
On 9 February 2015, Slaven Skeledà ¾iàwas appointed as head coach. The team started the qualifiers with a 6âÂÂ0 loss to Syria but earned its first-ever World Cup qualification victory against Cambodia. After a poor run of results, Skeledà ¾iàresigned in October 2015. Peter Segrt took over in November and led the team to another win over Cambodia, 3âÂÂ0. On 27 April 2015 the AFF signed a contract with a new sponsor called Alokozay Group of Companies.
This tournament marked Afghanistan's final appearance in the SAFF Championship before moving to CAFA. The team won all its group stage matchesâÂÂbeating Bangladesh 4âÂÂ0, Bhutan 3âÂÂ0, and Maldives 4âÂÂ1. In the semi-final, they defeated Sri Lanka 5âÂÂ0. The final was a rematch with India, which Afghanistan lost 2âÂÂ1 after extra time.
Following the SAFF Championship, Afghanistan had a chance to qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup through expanded qualifiers. After a second heavy loss to Japan (5âÂÂ0), they needed a win over Singapore, which they secured 2âÂÂ1. The team then played friendlies against Lebanon (lost 2âÂÂ0) and Malaysia (1âÂÂ1 draw). In February 2017, Otto Pfister was appointed as head coach. Afghanistan drew 1âÂÂ1 with Vietnam in the qualifiers, but losses to Cambodia and Jordan ended their qualification hopes. In July 2018, the federation announced a friendly match against Palestine in KabulâÂÂtheir first home game since 2013.
The 2023 CAFA Nations Cup was the first edition of the CAFA Nations Cup, the biennial international men's football championship of Central Asia organized by the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA). The event was held in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan from 10 to 20 June. Afghanistan lost both games in Group B to Iran and Kyrgyzstan, thus finishing in last place in the tournament.
The 2025 CAFA Nations Cup was the second edition of the CAFA Nations Cup. The event was held in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan from 29 August to 8 September. Afghanistan was allocated in Group B and lost their first match against Iran. Their second match was against Tajikistan on 1 September, which ended in a 0âÂÂ2 defeat. Afghanistan's third and final match in Group B was against India on 4 September, which ended in a 0âÂÂ0 draw.
Afghanistan shares a sporting rivalry with Pakistan, which extends into football alongside other sports. In earlier decades, regular matches were held between the two national teams. However, diplomatic ties were severed following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, and years of civil war and political unrest prevented any further encounters until their football rivalry resumed in 2003.
Due to the deep historical, cultural, and political ties between the two nations, matches against Pakistan are highly anticipated and passionately followed by Afghan supporters. While the rivalry holds strong emotional significance in Afghanistan, interest in the fixtureâÂÂand in football in generalâÂÂtends to be less intense in Pakistan.
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
The following 23 players were named in the squad for the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup.
The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months and are still available for selection.