Afghanistan

Afghanistan sit bottom of Group E in the third round of Asian Cup 2027 qualifying, two points from six matches against Syria, Myanmar and Pakistan. José Antonio Nogueira took charge in February 2026.

The federation traces itself to 1933, and the team did not take the field until August 1941, against Iran in Kabul. It was there at the founding of the Asian Football Confederation in 1954, one of the organisation's original members, though a place at an Asian Cup or a World Cup finals has never followed. What did follow, eventually, was a first World Cup qualifying win, against Cambodia, and the FIFA Fair Play Award in 2014.

The closest the side has come to a trophy is the SAFF Championship, and the shape of that history is India-specific: beaten 4-0 by India in the 2011 final, champions themselves in 2013 after beating the same opponents 2-0, then beaten again, 2-1 after extra time, in 2015.

Zohib Islam Amiri carries the captaincy and the caps record, 71 of them, built largely away from home in India's I-League. The goals have come from further afield still — Faysal Shayesteh, the all-time leading scorer with ten, has played his club football in the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Thailand, Malaysia, Iran and India.

Home matches are played at Ghazi Stadium in Kabul, in front of a capacity of 25,000.