# Sri Lanka national football team

The Sri Lanka national football team (Sinhala: ශ්‍රී ලංකා පාපන්දු කණ්ඩායම Shri Lanka Papandu Kandayama, Tamil: இலங்கை தேசிய கால்பந்து அணி Ilaṅkai Tēciya Kālpantu Aṇi) represents Sri Lanka in Association football and is administered by Football Federation of Sri Lanka, the governing body of football in Sri Lanka. They have been a member of FIFA since 1952 and a member of AFC since 1954. Sri Lanka's home stadium is the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo. The Sri Lankan team was known as the Ceylon national football team until 1972 when Ceylon was renamed Sri Lanka.
A member of the AFC, the team has yet to make their first appearance in FIFA World Cup or AFC Asian Cup finals. They have been South Asian champions once, in 1995. As is true elsewhere on the sub-continent, top-level football in Sri Lanka stands somewhat in the shadow of the country's Cricket team. However, the side did reach the second qualification stage for the 2006 World Cup. In the same year, they became the runners-up in the 2006 Challenge Cup.
In the qualification round of the 2018 World Cup, Sri Lanka lost both matches against Bhutan and failed to qualify for the next round. However, Sri Lanka national football team had managed to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2015 SAFF Championship.

## History
### Early history (1890s–2014)

Football was introduced to Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) by the British. There is evidence of it being played in Galle Face, a sandy area near the coast, by British servicemen stationed in Colombo in the 1890s. The game was also played at grounds of the barracks at Echelon Barracks and the army grounds (presently the Taj Samudra Hotels).
British servicemen of the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery and the Royal Garrison Command began and promoted competitive football in Ceylon. The British administrative service and the planting community enthusiastically took it to the Central, Southern, and Up-Country regions. By early 1900 competitive football was popular with the local youth.
The game became popular and local football clubs were formed. St. Michael's SC, Havelock's Football Club, Java Lane SC, Wekande SC, Moors FC, and CH & FC, the last being a European monopoly, were some of the first clubs in Columbo. Harlequins FC and Saunders SC soon joined. The trophies of the early tournaments were the De Mel Shield and the Times of Ceylon Cup.
Football also became popular in the country's Southern Provence, where the planting and administrative community promoted the game. British planter T R. Brough in Deniyaya heavily promoted football in the south between 1910 and 1920, and British servicemen from the Navy wireless station in Matara also helped popularise it.
In 1952, Ceylon became a member of FIFA and gained the opportunity to play football at the international level. The country's first international game was played against India in the 1952 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament, organized by The Ceylon Football Association.
On 24 October 1953, Tom Ossen, a product of Dharmaraja College, scored the country's first official international goal against Burma at the 1953 Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament. The game ended in a 2–3 defeat, with T. J. Azeez netting Ceylon's second goal.

### Renaissance of Sri Lanka football (2015–2019)

In 2015, Sri Lanka played for the first time in the Bangabandhu Cup. This tournament was organised by Bangladesh Football Federation. The national U-23 teams of Thailand, Bahrain, Malaysia and Singapore participated in this tournament. The national football teams of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also competed in this tournament.
Sri Lanka was placed in the group with Malaysia and Bangladesh. In the first game Sri Lanka played against the Malaysian team. Malaysia won the match by 2–0. The second match was played against the host Bangladesh. Sri Lanka lost the game 1–0. Sri Lanka failed to score a goal in this tournament. After a six years of poor performance in the international football field Sri Lanka football team managed to qualify for the Semi Final of 2015 SAFF Championship. The poor performance continued in the Solidarity Cup as well. They had another shock defeat this time by the hands of Mongolia the lowest ranked team in Asia. As a result of this defeat Sri Lanka eliminated in the group stage of the tournament.
In July 2018, Sri Lanka welcomed a historical encounter when they faced Lithuania, marked for the first time Sri Lanka will face a European team. The Sri Lankans managed a respectable 0–0 draw to the UEFA side but lost 0–2 in the second encounter. During 2022 World Cup campaign however, Sri Lanka suffered another poor performance as the team fell 0–1 in Zhuhai to Macau. Macau was subsequently disqualified, as the team refused to travel to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings, Sri Lanka was awarded a 3–0 win in response, thus qualified to the second round of the World Cup for the first time since 2006 campaign.

### Amir Alagic era (2020–2022)

In the second round, Sri Lanka was unlucky to be drawn with four 2019 AFC Asian Cup participants, South Korea, North Korea, Lebanon and Turkmenistan. As predicted, Sri Lanka proved too weak for the group, losing all matches without scoring a single goal as for the end of 2019, and was eliminated from World Cup contention. Sri Lanka had improved since then, and participated in the 2020 Bangabandhu Cup, but the team still finished bottom with two defeats and no goal.
In February 2020, the Football Federation of Sri Lanka announced the appointment of Bosnian-Australian specialist Amir Alagić as head coach of the national team. Sri Lanka then travelled to South Korea to finish their two remaining games against Lebanon and South Korea, losing both, yet optimism rose when Sri Lanka demonstrated an outstanding performance against Lebanon, scoring two goals and only lost by one goal margin, which was also the country's first-ever goals in the qualification. Alagić resigned as coach of Sri Lanka after the qualification, as Sri Lanka, rated as the weakest team in the group, were eliminated without scoring a point. He was replaced by Scottish manager, Andy Morrison.

### FIFA suspension and Participation in FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying (2023)

On 22 January 2023, FIFA announced the suspension of the FFSL from 21 January 2023 until further notice due to the government interference in football, but was provisionally included in the draw, pending a resolution. Therefore, all teams/clubs affiliated with the FFSL are no longer entitled to take part in international competitions. However, after the issue was settled, the ban was lifted allowing Sri Lanka to take part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification under a strict condition: FFSL must conduct a new election ten days before the fixture against Yemen; failure to do so would result in automatic disqualification of the team. The suspension was lifted on 29 August 2023.
Sri Lanka then participated in the first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification facing against Yemen on 12 October 2023 but lost 4–1 on aggregate in the process. In September 2024, Sri Lanka then played in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification play-off round against Cambodia in which the aggregate was tied on 2–2 where Claudio Kammerknecht scored in the 120+2th minute in extra time to send the game to penalties shoot-out. Sri Lanka came out victorious thus qualifying to the third round.

### 2027 Asia Cup Qualification (2024–2025)

The Sri Lanka national football team began their 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification campaign by integrating players of Sri Lankan origin from overseas, including Claudio Kammerknecht and Marvin Hamilton. Their contributions were pivotal in the team’s penalty shoot-out victory over Cambodia in the play-off round, securing a place in the third round.
In September 2024, Mohamed Al-Mutairi was appointed as head coach to prepare the team for the next stage of qualification. Sri Lanka is scheduled to play six international friendlies in 2025 to build match fitness and test tactical adjustments ahead of the third round.
The third round of qualification will take place in 2025, where Sri Lanka has been drawn into Group D alongside Thailand, Turkmenistan, and Chinese Taipei. The matches are scheduled to be played on a home-and-away basis between 25 March 2025 and 31 March 2026 for Sri Lanka.
Only the group winners will advance to the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Finals.

## Team image
### Media coverage

There is no official TV broadcaster for the football matches played by the Sri Lanka team because the Football Federation of Sri Lanka has not sold broadcasting rights. The SAFF Championship was broadcast by several channels, and tournaments in the 1990s and 2000s were broadcast free-to-air by Channel Eye. The 2013 SAFF Championship was broadcast by CSN. Star Sports also broadcast the SAFF Championship on pay TV satellite broadcasters.
The official online broadcaster of Sri Lankan football matches is thepapare.com which streams the games of the Sri Lanka Football Premier League, the finals of the Sri Lanka FA Cup, and the AFC U-19 Championship.

### Colours

The team uses different kits for home and away games. Since 2023, the kits have been manufactured by Nexxus Sports, a Sri Lankan brand.

#### Home

The home kit for the 2023-2024 season is a white jersey with scattered yellow and blue dots. The shorts are matching. Historically, it has been blue.

#### Away

The home kit for the 2023-2024 season is a blue jersey with scattered yellow and white dots. The shorts are matching. Historically, it has been white.

### Home stadiums
#### Sugathadasa Stadium

Sugathadasa Stadium is the former athletic stadium in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1972 and has a capacity of 28,000. The stadium is mostly used for athletics and football. The 1995 and 2008 SAFF Championship tournaments were held in this stadium. This is the home stadium of Sri Lanka National Football Team.Sri Lanka won their first major football tournament in his stadium. It was defeating India in the Final of 1995 SAFF Championship.
All the FIFA World Cup qualification matches of Sri Lankan team also played in this ground. This ground has become a lucky ground for Sri Lanka team because they have won much of the matches played in here. The draw against Philippines Football team and The Tajikistan Team were well known. In recent times Sri Lanka lost to Bhutan in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualify matches against Bhutan in this Stadium. The 2014–15 FA Cup Final also held in this ground.
Major football tournaments that played in here were the AFC President's Cup and AFC Challenge Cup.

#### Kalutara Stadium

Kalutara Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Kalutara, Sri Lanka. This stadium also known as the Vernon Fernando ground. It is currently used mostly for football matches and hosts the home games of Kalutara Park SC. The stadium holds 15,000 people. This stadium is popularly known as "Kalutara Park Ground". This stadium is located in the heart of Kalutara city. This stadium is mostly use in the Sri Lanka Champions League and Sri Lanka FA Cup tournaments.

## Results and fixtures

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

### 2026
## Coaching staff

| Position | Name |
| Head coach | Abdullah Al Mutairi |
| Assistant coach | Karim Perera Mohamed Kajanathan |
| Goalkeeping coach | Banuka Pahan |
| Technical coach | Fasal Tharaka Silva |
| Performance analyst | Sanka Jayamina |
| Team doctor | Chalana Roomy |
| Media Officers | Isuru Maduwantha |
| Physiotherapist | Gimhani Rathnayake |
| Masseur | Mohammed Roomy |
| Kitman | Priyashan Fernando |
| Team manager | Hiran Rathnayaka |

### Coaching history

* P.D. Sirisena (1976–1998)
* Neville Dias (1990)
* Burkhard Pape (199?)
* Jorge Ferreira (1993–1995)
* M. Karathu (1999–2000)
* Marcos Ferreira (2000–2004)
* Sampath Perera (2004–2006, 2009, 2015–2016)
* Jang Jung (2007–2008, 2010–2012)
* Mohamed Amanulla (2009–2010)
* Claudio Roberto (2013–2014)
* Nikola Kavazović (2014–2015)
* Dudley Steinwall (2016–2018)
* Nizam Pakeer Ali (2018–2020)
* Amir Alagić (2020–2022)
* Andy Morrison (2022–2024)
* Abdullah Al Mutairi (2024–present)

## Players
### Current squad

The following 23 players were called up for the friendly match against Laos and the 2027 ACQ match against Thailand on 20 and 25 March 2025, respectively.
Caps and goals are correct as of 19 November 2024 after the game against Yemen.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
| 1 | 1GK | Sujan Perera (captain) | (1992-07-18) 18 July 1992 (age 32) | 55 | 0 | TC Sports |
| 20 | 1GK | Mohamed Mursith | (2001-01-04) 4 January 2001 (age 24) | 0 | 0 | Blue Star |
| 22 | 1GK | Kaveesh Lakpriya Fernando | (1995-01-10) 10 January 1995 (age 30) | 1 | 0 | Blue Star |
| 2 | 2DF | Anujan Rajendram | (2000-05-11) 11 May 2000 (age 24) | 6 | 0 | Strindheim IL |
| 3 | 2DF | Harsha Fernando | (1992-11-21) 21 November 1992 (age 32) | 36 | 0 | Up Country Lions |
| 4 | 2DF | Chalana Chameera | (1993-10-01) 1 October 1993 (age 31) | 35 | 0 | Blue Star |
| 15 | 2DF | Claudio Kammerknecht | (1999-07-26) 26 July 1999 (age 25) | 4 | 1 | Dynamo Dresden |
| 18 | 2DF | Barath Suresh | (2003-06-11) 11 June 2003 (age 21) | 11 | 0 | Langwarrin |
| 19 | 2DF | Jack Hingert | (1990-09-26) 26 September 1990 (age 34) | 6 | 1 | Brisbane Roar |
| 23 | 2DF | Jason Thayaparan | (1995-10-01) 1 October 1995 (age 29) | 5 | 0 | Eintracht Trier |
| | 2DF | William Thomason | (2002-06-28) 28 June 2002 (age 22) | 0 | 0 | Essendon Royals |
| 8 | 3MF | Aman Faizer | (1999-03-12) 12 March 1999 (age 26) | 19 | 0 | Club Lagoons |
| 10 | 3MF | Sam Durrant | (2002-02-16) 16 February 2002 (age 23) | 6 | 0 | Connah's Quay Nomads |
| 12 | 3MF | Leon Perera | (1997-01-01) 1 January 1997 (age 28) | 9 | 0 | Lüneburger SK Hansa |
| 21 | 3MF | Adhavan Rajamohan | (1993-02-21) 21 February 1993 (age 32) | 12 | 0 | IFK Haninge |
| 24 | 3MF | Mohamed Hasmeer | (1998-01-07) 7 January 1998 (age 27) | 5 | 0 | Navy Sea Hawks |
| | 3MF | Geremi Perera | (2004-03-25) 25 March 2004 (age 20) | 0 | 0 | ATSV Erlangen |
| | 3MF | Garrett Kelly | (1996-04-14) 14 April 1996 (age 28) | 0 | 0 | Welling United |
| 9 | 4FW | Oliver Kelaart | (1998-04-16) 16 April 1998 (age 26) | 10 | 2 | Hume City |
| 11 | 4FW | Rifkhan Mohamed | (1999-10-25) 25 October 1999 (age 25) | 12 | 0 | Defenders |
| 13 | 4FW | Mohammed Thilham | (2005-11-18) 18 November 2005 (age 19) | 1 | 0 | New Star SC |
| | 4FW | Ahmed Waseem Razeek | (1994-09-13) 13 September 1994 (age 30) | 22 | 9 | Eastern District |
| | 4FW | Wade Dekker | (1994-04-21) 21 April 1994 (age 30) | 6 | 0 | Dandenong Thunder |

### Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months and are still available for selection.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
| GK | Prabath Ruwan | (1993-06-19) 19 June 1993 (age 31) | 0 | 0 | Air Force | 2024 FIFA World Series |
| DF | Jude Supan | (1998-07-30) 30 July 1998 (age 26) | 29 | 0 | Renown | v. Yemen, 16 November 2024 |
| DF | Manaram Perera | (1998-06-23) 23 June 1998 (age 26) | 8 | 0 | Navy Sea Hawks | v. Yemen, 16 November 2024 |
| DF | Asikur Rahuman | (1993-12-31) 31 December 1993 (age 31) | 29 | 1 | Defenders | v. Brunei, 8 June 2024 |
| DF | Dagsan Vigneswaran | (2004-02-05) 5 February 2004 (age 21) | 0 | 0 | FC Concordia Lausanne | 2024 FIFA World Series |
| MF | Dillon De Silva | (2002-04-18) 18 April 2002 (age 22) | 18 | 2 | Sutton United | v. Yemen, 16 November 2024 |
| MF | Steven Sacayaradjy | (1997-01-22) 22 January 1997 (age 28) | 6 | 0 | Onet-le-Château | v. Myanmar, 13 October 2024 |
| MF | Tenuka Ranaweera | (2005-08-22) 22 August 2005 (age 19) | 1 | 0 | Nairobi United | v. Cambodia, 10 September 2024 |
| MF | Firaz Marshuk | | 0 | 0 | | v. Cambodia; 10 September 2024 |
| MF | Regize Canistan | (1997-03-25) 25 March 1997 (age 27) | 0 | 0 | FC Montceau Bourgogne | 2024 FIFA World Series |
| FW | Rahul Suresh | (2003-05-16) 16 May 2003 (age 21) | 5 | 0 | Dandenong Thunder | v. Yemen, 16 November 2024 |
| FW | Shenal Sandesh | (2002-07-25) 25 July 2002 (age 22) | 3 | 0 | Up Country Lions | v. Yemen, 16 November 2024 |
| FW | Mohamed Aakib | (2000-06-26) 26 June 2000 (age 24) | 28 | 3 | Colombo | v. Yemen, 16 November 2024 |
| Notes $^{INJ}$ Withdrew due to injury $^{PRE}$ Preliminary squad / standby $^{RET}$ Retired from the national team $^{SUS}$ Serving suspension $^{WD}$ Withdrew due to non-injury issue |||||||

## Player records

    As of 19 November 2024
    Players in bold are still active with Sri Lanka.

### Most appearances

| Rank | Name | Caps | Goals | Career |
| 1 | Channa Ediri Bandanage | 65 | 18 | 1999–2009 |
| 2 | Kasun Jayasuriya | 56 | 27 | 1999–2009 |
| 3 | Weerasinghe Sujan Perera | 55 | 0 | 2011–present |
| 4 | Chathura Maduranga Weerasinghe [de] | 48 | 7 | 2001–2009 |
| 5 | Dudley Lincoln Steinwall | 46 | 3 | 1993–2009 |
| 6 | Chathura Gunaratne | 39 | 8 | 2006–2013 |
| 6 | Kavindu Ishan | 39 | 1 | 2013–present |
| 8 | Kamaldeen Mohamed Fuard | 37 | 0 | 2000–2006 |
| 9 | Harsha Fernando | 36 | 0 | 2018–present |
| 10 | Chalana Chameera | 35 | 0 | 2015–present |

### Top goalscorers

| Rank | Name | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
| 1 | Kasun Jayasuriya | 27 | 56 | 0.48 | 1999–2009 |
| 2 | Channa Ediri Bandanage | 18 | 65 | 0.28 | 1999–2009 |
| 3 | Roshan Perera | 14 | 31 | 0.45 | 1993–2001 |
| 4 | Ahmed Waseem Razeek | 9 | 22 | 0.41 | 2019–present |
| 4 | Mohamed Izzadeen | 9 | 34 | 0.26 | 2004–2015 |
| 6 | Chathura Gunaratne | 8 | 39 | 0.21 | 2006–2013 |
| 7 | Chathura Maduranga Weerasinghe [de] | 7 | 48 | 0.15 | 2001–2009 |
| 8 | Mohamed Amanulla | 6 | 10 | 0.6 | 1995–2000 |
| 9 | Mohamed Izmath Zain | 3 | 9 | 0.33 | 2011 |
| 9 | Kaiz Mohammed Shafras [de] | 3 | 12 | 0.25 | 2008–2011 |
| 9 | Galboda Chandradasa Karunaratne | 3 | 12 | 0.25 | 1999–2007 |
| 9 | Imthyas Raheem | 3 | 23 | 0.13 | 1995–2004 |
| 9 | Mohamed Aakib | 3 | 28 | 0.11 | 2019–present |
| 9 | Well Don Ruwanthilaka | 3 | 33 | 0.09 | 2000–2011 |
| 9 | Dudley Lincoln Steinwall | 3 | 46 | 0.07 | 1993–2009 |

## Competitive record
### FIFA World Cup

| FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification | Qualification |
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pld | W | D | L | F | A |
| 1930 to 1938 | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom | Part of United Kingdom |
| 1950 | Not a FIFA Member | Not a FIFA Member | Not a FIFA Member | Not a FIFA Member | Not a FIFA Member | Not a FIFA Member | Not a FIFA Member | Not a FIFA Member | Not a FIFA Member | Not a FIFA Member | Not a FIFA Member | Not a FIFA Member | Not a FIFA Member | Not a FIFA Member |
| 1954 to 1990 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1994 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 26 |
| 1998 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 2002 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 20 |
| 2006 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 11 |
| 2010 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| 2014 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 2018 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 2022 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 24 |
| 2026 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2030 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| 2034 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| Total | 0/19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | 4 | 7 | 30 | 27 | 103 |

### AFC Asian Cup

| AFC Asian Cup | AFC Asian Cup | AFC Asian Cup | AFC Asian Cup | AFC Asian Cup | AFC Asian Cup | AFC Asian Cup | AFC Asian Cup | AFC Asian Cup | AFC Asian Cup qualification | AFC Asian Cup qualification | AFC Asian Cup qualification | AFC Asian Cup qualification | AFC Asian Cup qualification | AFC Asian Cup qualification |
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
| 1956 to 1968 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1972 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 10 |
| 1976 | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew | Withdrew |
| 1980 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 12 |
| 1984 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 11 |
| 1988 to 1992 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 1996 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 25 |
| 2000 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 18 |
| 2004 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 26 |
| 2007 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2011 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup |
| 2015 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup |
| 2019 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 2023 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | 11 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 5 | 30 |
| 2027 | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined | To be determined |
| Total | 0/19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 42 | 7 | 1 | 34 | 31 | 136 |

### SAFF Championship

| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1993 | Runners-up | 2nd | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 1995 | Champions | 1st | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| 1997 | Semi-finals | 4th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 |
| 1999 | Group stage | 5th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2003 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 2005 | Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 2008 | Semi-finals | 3rd | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| 2009 | Semi-finals | 4th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 7 |
| 2011 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 2013 | Group Stage | 7th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 15 |
| 2015 | Semi-finals | 4th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 2018 | Group stage | 6th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021 | Group stage | 5th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Total | 13/13 | 1st | 41 | 13 | 7 | 21 | 48 | 64 |

### AFC Challenge Cup

| AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup | AFC Challenge Cup qualification | AFC Challenge Cup qualification | AFC Challenge Cup qualification | AFC Challenge Cup qualification | AFC Challenge Cup qualification | AFC Challenge Cup qualification |
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
| 2006 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 2 | No qualifying round | No qualifying round | No qualifying round | No qualifying round | No qualifying round | No qualifying round |
| 2008 | Group stage | 7th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 4 |
| 2010 | Group stage | 5th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 |
| 2012 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 2014 | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | did not qualify | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Total | 3/5 | Runners-up | 12 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 28 | 18 |
* In 2011 and 2015 The AFC Challenge Cup acted as the qualification for the Asian Cup.
* The AFC Challenge Cup was cancelled by the AFC.

### AFC Solidarity Cup

| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 2016 | Group stage | 6th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |

## Head-to-head record

Last update was against Yemen on 19 November 2024.
| Country | Matches | Win | Draw | Loss | GF | GA | GD | Win/Draw % |
| Afghanistan | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 17 | −11 | 25.00 |
| Bahrain | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 00.00 |
| Bangladesh | 20 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 30 | −15 | 25.00 |
| Bhutan | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 5 | +15 | 75.00 |
| Brunei | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 40.00 |
| Cambodia | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12 | −8 | 20.00 |
| China | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 00.00 |
| East Germany | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | −11 | 00.00 |
| Guam | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 100.00 |
| Hong Kong | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 00.00 |
| India | 19 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 32 | −19 | 11.11 |
| Indonesia | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 29 | −23 | 33.33 |
| Iran | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | −11 | 00.00 |
| Japan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 | −16 | 00.00 |
| Jordan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 00.00 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 00.00 |
| Laos | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 28.57 |
| Lebanon | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 18 | −12 | 25.00 |
| Lithuania | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 00.00 |
| Macau | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 66.66 |
| Malaysia | 10 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 7 | 36 | −29 | 10.00 |
| Maldives | 20 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 38 | −22 | 10.00 |
| Mongolia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 50.00 |
| Myanmar | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 20 | −10 | 22.22 |
| North Korea | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | −8 | 00.00 |
| Nepal | 17 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 25 | 19 | +6 | 37.50 |
| Oman | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 14 | −13 | 00.00 |
| Pakistan | 19 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 31 | 25 | +6 | 75.00 |
| Palestine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 00.00 |
| Philippines | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 50.00 |
| Qatar | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | −9 | 00.00 |
| Saudi Arabia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | −9 | 00.00 |
| Singapore | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 15 | −9 | 20.00 |
| South Korea | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | −19 | 00.00 |
| Seychelles | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 25.00 |
| Sudan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 00.00 |
| Syria | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 17 | −17 | 00.00 |
| Tajikistan | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 00.00 |
| Thailand | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 22 | −20 | 00.00 |
| Timor-Leste | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 100.00 |
| Turkmenistan | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 12 | −10 | 00.00 |
| United Arab Emirates | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 35 | −32 | 00.00 |
| Uzbekistan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | −9 | 00.00 |
| Vietnam | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 30.00 |
| Yemen | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 40.00 |
| Total | Played | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| Total | 262 | 50 | 47 | 155 | 239 | 578 | −339 |

## Honours
### Continental

* AFC Challenge Cup
** Runners-up (1): 2006

### Regional

* SAFF Championship
** Champions (1): 1995
** Runners-up (1): 1993
* South Asian Games
** Bronze Medal (2): 1993, 1995

### Friendly

* Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament
** Runners-up: 1954
** Third place: 1952
* ANFA Cup
** Runners-up: 2009

### Summary

Only official senior honours are included, according to FIFA statutes (competitions organized/recognized by FIFA or an affiliated confederation).
| Senior Competition | | | | Total |
| AFC Challenge Cup | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |