Bangladesh national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bangladesh

Nickname(s)	বাংলার বাঘ (Bengal Tigers) লাল -সবুজ (Red and Green)
Association	Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF)
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	SAFF (South Asia)
Head coach	Javier Cabrera
Captain	Jamal Bhuyan
Most caps	Jamal Bhuyan (87)
Top scorer	Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Chunnu (17)
Home stadium	Bangabandhu National Stadium
FIFA code	BAN
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	192 (7 February 2019)
Highest	110 (April 1996)
Lowest	197 (February–May 2018)
First international
Bangladesh 2–2 Thailand  (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 26 July 1973)
Biggest win
Bangladesh 8–0 Maldives  (Dhaka, Bangladesh; 23 December 1985)
Biggest defeat
South Korea 9–0 Bangladesh  (Incheon, South Korea; 16 September 1979)  Iran 9–0 Bangladesh  (Karachi, Pakistan; 18 February 1982)
Asian Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 1980)
Best result	Group stage (1980)
AFC Challenge Cup
Appearances	2 (first in 2006)
Best result	Quarter-finals (2006)
SAFF Championship
Appearances	13 (first in 1995)
Best result	Champions (2003)
Medal record Men's football SAFF Championship Gold 2003 Bangladesh Team Silver 2005 Pakistan Team Silver 1999 India Team Bronze 1995 Sri Lanka Team South Asian Games Gold 1999 Katmandu Team Silver 1984 Kathmandu Team Silver 1985 Dhaka Team Silver 1989 Islamabad Team Silver 1995 Madras Team Bronze 1991 Colombo Team

The Bangladesh national football team (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয় ফুটবল দল) is the official football team for Bangladesh. It is managed by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). The team joined the AFC in 1973 and FIFA in 1976. The Bangladesh Football Federation itself started in 1972.

Bangladesh's national team played its first game in 1973. They have not yet made it to the FIFA World Cup finals. They played in the Asian Cup once in 1980. Bangladesh is one of only two South Asian countries to have qualified for this big tournament. The team's best wins have been in South Asia. They won the 2003 SAFF Gold Cup. They also won gold medals at the 1999 South Asian Games. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Bangladesh was a rising team in Asia. However, since the year 2000, football in Bangladesh has been less popular than cricket. This is mainly because of less money for football and not enough new skills. Football is still liked in Bangladesh, but cricket is the most popular sport.

History of Bangladesh Football

Early Days (1895–1972)

Islington Corinthians and DSA XI team photo in 1937

In 1895, the Dacca Sporting Association (DSA) was formed in Dhaka. By the early 1930s, football was getting better in East Bengal. Many tournaments were held. In 1937, a famous English team, Islington Corinthians, visited Dhaka. On November 21, 1937, the DSA XI team beat them 1–0. This was the first time the English team lost on their world tour. Most of the DSA XI players were students from Dhaka University. People were very happy to see the English team lose. The English team even said, "I heard a lot about the Bengal tiger! This time I saw it!"

The first real Bangladesh national football team was the Shadhin Bangla Football Team. This team played during the 1971 Liberation War. They traveled around India. They helped raise money for the new Bangladesh government. After Bangladesh became independent from Pakistan in 1971, a team called Dhaka XI played in 1972. This team won a friendly game against Mohun Bagan at home. They also finished second in India's Bordoloi Trophy.

The Team Starts (1973–1984)

The Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) was started on July 15, 1972. Md.Yousuf Ali, a former Minister, founded it. The BFF joined AFC in 1973 and FIFA in 1976. Sheikh Shaheb Ali, who coached Dhaka XI, became the first national team coach. Zakaria Pintoo, who led the Shadhin Bangla Team, became the captain.

On July 26, 1973, Bangladesh played its first official game. It was a 2–2 draw against Thailand in the Merdeka Cup. Enayetur Rahman scored Bangladesh's first international goal. Kazi Salahuddin scored the second. Bangladesh lost the game 5–6 in a penalty shootout. On August 13, 1973, Bangladesh played a friendly game in Singapore. They won their first game ever, beating Singapore 1–0. Nowsher scored the goal.

In 1979, Bangladesh played in the 1980 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. They surprised everyone by drawing with Afghanistan and Qatar. They then beat Afghanistan 3–2. This win helped them qualify for the main tournament.

The 1980 AFC Asian Cup was held in Kuwait. Bangladesh was in a group with strong teams like Iran and China. They lost their first game 2–3 to North Korea. Kazi Salahuddin and Ashrafuddin Ahmed Chunnu scored for Bangladesh. They lost 0–1 to Syria. However, they lost badly to Iran (0–7) and China (0–6). Bangladesh finished last in their group.

Ups and Downs (1985–2002)

Bangladesh team at Pakistan's 1987 Quaid-e-Azam International Cup

In 1985, Bangladesh played in the 1986 World Cup qualifiers. They got their first World Cup qualifier win against Indonesia. Kaiser Hamid and Ashrafuddin Ahmed Chunnu scored. They also beat Thailand 1–0. But they still finished last in their group. In the 1985 South Asian Games, Bangladesh had their biggest win ever, beating Maldives 8–0. But they lost to India in the final on penalties.

The 4-nation Tiger Trophy in Myanmar became Bangladesh's first international trophy in 1995.

In 1995, Otto Pfister became the coach. On November 4, 1995, Bangladesh won the 4-nation Tiger Trophy in Myanmar. This was the country's first big trophy. Monem Munna was the captain. In 1996, FIFA ranked Bangladesh 110th, their highest ever. In 1999, the Bangladesh team won a gold medal at the South Asian Games. They beat Nepal in the final. This ended their 19-year wait for a gold medal.

Bangladesh and India in action during the 1997 SAFF Gold Cup

On January 12, 2001, Bangladesh played its first game against a European country. They lost 0–2 to Bosnia & Herzegovina. On March 18, 2001, Firoj Mahmud Titu became the first Bangladeshi player to score against a European team. Bangladesh lost 1–4 to FR Yugoslavia.

SAFF Gold Cup Win (2003)

In 2003, the SAFF Championship was held in Dhaka. Coach György Kottán led the Bangladesh team. They started by beating Nepal 1–0, with Alfaz Ahmed scoring. They also beat Maldives 1–0 and Bhutan 3–0. Bangladesh finished first in their group.

In the semi-finals, they played India. Bangladesh had lost to India in the 1999 final. But this time, Bangladesh won 2–1 with a Golden goal by Motiur Munna. This sent them to the final. Their captain, Rajani Kanta Barman, could not play in the final because of a suspension. Hassan Al-Mamun became the captain.

In the final, Bangladesh played Maldives again. Rokonuzzaman Kanchan scored early for Bangladesh. Maldives scored later to make it 1–1. The game went to extra time and then penalties. Goalkeeper Aminul Haque saved a penalty. Mohammed Sujan scored the winning penalty. Bangladesh won their first SAFF Championship in front of 46,000 fans at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

Recent Years (2011–Present)

Bangladeshi team at the 2021 SAFF Championship in Maldives.

On June 29, 2011, Bangladesh beat Pakistan 3–0 in Dhaka. This was in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. This win helped them move to the next round to play Lebanon. They lost the first game 0–4 in Beirut. In the return game in Dhaka, Bangladesh won 2–0, but they were still out of the tournament.

In 2016, Bangladesh lost 1–3 to Bhutan in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. This meant Bangladesh would not play in any AFC or FIFA tournaments for two years. By February 2018, Bangladesh's FIFA ranking dropped to 197, their lowest ever.

In May 2018, Jamie Day became the coach. Bangladesh beat Laos 1–0 to get into the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. They were in a tough group with India, Afghanistan, Qatar, and Oman. They managed to draw with India and Afghanistan. In September 2021, Javier Cabrera became the new head coach. Under Cabrera, Bangladesh did not win any games in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

Team Look

Media Coverage

Bangladesh's home and away games are shown live on Bangladesh Television, Bangla TV & T Sports (Bangladesh).

Team Kits

The Bangladesh national football team usually wears bottle green shirts and dark red shorts. Green and red are the national colors of Bangladesh. They come from the national flag. Red means the rising sun and the blood of those who died for freedom. Green means the rich land. The away jersey is usually the opposite colors. The team's kit has the logo of the country's football federation.

In 2008, the Bangladesh Football Federation signed a big sponsorship deal with Citycell. It was worth US$1.45 million for two years. In 2010, Grameenphone became their new sponsor. In 2019, TVS Motor Company sponsored the team for two years. In 2021, the federation held a contest to design a new jersey for the 2021 SAFF Championship.

Year	Kit Manufacturer/ Sponsor	Ref
1973–1998	Unknown
1998–2000	Adidas
2000–2001	Sapphire Sports
2001–2005	None
2005–2007	Adidas
2008	Nokia
2008–2010	Citycell
2010–2011	Grand Sport
2011–2013	Grameenphone
2014–2015	FBT
2015–2016	Lotto
2016–2019	None
2019–2021	TVS
2021–present	None

Fans and Supporters

Bangladeshi fans at the 2021 SAFF Championship in Maldives.

In the 1970s and 1980s, football was very popular in Bangladesh. The Dhaka League attracted many fans. But since the 2000s, football has become less popular. This is because other sports, like cricket, have become more successful. Also, the national team has not won as much. Because of this, the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka is often empty during games.

However, outside Dhaka, football is still very popular. Games in Sylhet and Jessore attract many fans. In 2014, 50,000 people watched a game between Bangladesh U23 and Nepal U23 in Sylhet. Many fans even broke the main entrance to get in because there were not enough tickets. In Jessore, over 30,000 people watched a friendly game against Sri Lanka. The stadium only holds 12,000 people.

The first fan group for the national team, the Bangladeshi Football Ultras, started in 2019.

Bangladesh Red and Green Teams

The President's Gold Cup was a tournament held from 1981 to 1993. The Bangladesh Football Federation often entered two teams from Bangladesh: Bangladesh Red and Bangladesh Green. This was because many good players could not get into the main national team. Having two teams was common for South Asian countries back then.

In 1989, Bangladesh Red won the President's Gold Cup. They beat South Korea University in the final. However, this is not seen as Bangladesh's first international trophy. This is because the tournament mostly had club teams, not national teams. The Green team was usually the youth national team. The Red team was made of senior players and was the main national team.

Home Stadium

Bangabandhu National Stadium

Bangladesh plays most of its home games at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka. They won the 2003 SAFF Championship and the 2010 South Asian Games there. The stadium was built in 1954 and was first called the Dhaka Stadium.

Before 2011, the stadium could hold about 55,000 people. After renovations, it now holds 36,000. It is still the biggest stadium in Bangladesh. The stadium has hosted the SAFF Championship three times: in 2003, 2009, and 2018.

In 2021, the Bangabandhu Stadium began new renovations. These will add chairs and big LED screens. This is part of the Bangladesh Football Federation's plan to make the stadium more modern for football. Sometimes, home games are also played at other stadiums. These include Sheikh Kamal Stadium in Nilphamari, Sylhet District Stadium in Sylhet, and Bashundhara Kings Arena in Dhaka.

Coaching Staff

Job	Name
Head coach	Javier Cabrera
Team manager	Amer Khan
Assistant coaches	David Gomez
	Hassan Al-Mamun
Goalkeeping coach	Nuruzzaman Nayan
Team leader	Not filled yet
Fitness coach	Not filled yet
Technical director	Saiful Bari Titu
Physio	Abu Sufian Sharker
Doctor	Md Mahmudul Hasan
Team observer	Not filled yet
Team attendant	Md Mohsin
Media manager	Sadman Sakib

Players

Current Team Members

These players were chosen for two friendly games against  Maldives in November 2024.

Numbers for games played (caps) and goals scored are correct as of September 8, 2024, after the game against  Bhutan.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
13	1GK	Mitul Marma	(2003-12-11) 11 December 2003 (age 21)	10	0	Dhaka Abahani
23	1GK	Sujon Hossain	(1996-08-05) 5 August 1996 (age 28)	0	0	Mohammedan SC
	1GK	Mehedi Hasan Srabon	(2005-08-12) 12 August 2005 (age 19)	2	0	Bashundhara Kings
	1GK	Anisur Rahman Zico	(1997-08-10) 10 August 1997 (age 27)	31	0	Bashundhara Kings
2	2DF	Shakil Hossain	(2002-07-06) 6 July 2002 (age 22)	10	0	Dhaka Abahani
3	2DF	Rahmat Mia	(1999-12-08) 8 December 1999 (age 25)	34	0	Brothers Union
4	2DF	Topu Barman	(1994-12-20) 20 December 1994 (age 30)	59	6	Bashundhara Kings
14	2DF	Shakil Ahad Topu	(2006-04-06) 6 April 2006 (age 19)	0	0	Mohammedan SC
18	2DF	Isa Faysal	(1999-08-20) 20 August 1999 (age 25)	13	0	Bangladesh Police
22	2DF	Md Saad Uddin	(1998-09-01) 1 September 1998 (age 26)	36	2	Bashundhara Kings
26	2DF	Mehedi Hasan Mithu	(1994-10-24) 24 October 1994 (age 30)	5	0	Mohammedan SC
	2DF	Hasan Murad Tipu	(1998-01-02) 2 January 1998 (age 27)	2	0	Dhaka Abahani
	2DF	Md Taj Uddin	(2002-07-18) 18 July 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Rahmatganj MFS
5	3MF	Mohammad Ridoy	(2002-01-01) 1 January 2002 (age 23)	20	0	Dhaka Abahani
17	3MF	Sohel Rana	(1995-03-27) 27 March 1995 (age 30)	69	0	Bashundhara Kings
20	3MF	Mojibur Rahman Jony	(2005-01-01) 1 January 2005 (age 20)	18	1	Bashundhara Kings
28	3MF	Chandon Roy	(2007-05-04) 4 May 2007 (age 18)	2	0	Bashundhara Kings
	3MF	Didarul Alam	(1996-01-05) 5 January 1996 (age 29)	0	0	Fortis
	3MF	Syed Quazem Shah	(1998-10-25) 25 October 1998 (age 26)	1	0	Bangladesh Police
	3MF	Papon Singh	(1999-12-31) 31 December 1999 (age 25)	2	0	Dhaka Abahani
7	4FW	Shekh Morsalin	(2005-11-25) 25 November 2005 (age 19)	13	5	Bashundhara Kings
9	4FW	Shahriar Emon	(2001-03-07) 7 March 2001 (age 24)	3	0	Dhaka Abahani
10	4FW	Rakib Hossain	(1998-11-18) 18 November 1998 (age 26)	40	4	Bashundhara Kings
11	4FW	Foysal Ahmed Fahim	(2002-02-24) 24 February 2002 (age 23)	21	1	Bashundhara Kings
15	4FW	Mirajul Islam	(2006-10-01) 1 October 2006 (age 18)	1	0	Dhaka Abahani
	4FW	Piash Ahmed Nova	(2005-09-25) 25 September 2005 (age 19)	0	0	Fortis

Players Called Up Recently

These players have also been called to the Bangladesh team in the last year.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Pappu Hossain	(1999-04-07) 7 April 1999 (age 26)	0	0	Brothers Union	v.  Bhutan; 8 September 2024
GK	Mahfuz Hasan Pritom	(1999-11-05) 5 November 1999 (age 25)	0	0	Dhaka Abahani	v.  [[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}|Palestinian National Authority]]; 26 March 2024
DF	Bishwanath Ghosh	(1999-05-30) 30 May 1999 (age 26)	43	0	Bashundhara Kings	v.  Bhutan; 8 September 2024
DF	Sushanto Tripura	(1998-10-05) 5 October 1998 (age 26)	7	0	Brothers Union	v.  Bhutan, 5 September 2024INJ
DF	Tariq Kazi	(2000-10-06) 6 October 2000 (age 24)	27	2	Bashundhara Kings	v.  Lebanon; 11 June 2024
DF	Rimon Hossain	(2005-07-01) 1 July 2005 (age 19)	14	0	Bashundhara Kings	v.  Lebanon; 11 June 2024
MF	Jamal Bhuyan (Captain)	(1990-04-10) 10 April 1990 (age 35)	87	1	Brothers Union	v.  Bhutan; 8 September 2024
MF	Mohamed Sohel Rana	(1996-06-01) 1 June 1996 (age 29)	18	0	Bashundhara Kings	v.  Bhutan; 8 September 2024
MF	Jayed Ahmed	(2002-12-14) 14 December 2002 (age 22)	2	0	Bangladesh Police	v.  Bhutan, 5 September 2024PRE
MF	Rabiul Hasan	(1999-06-26) 26 June 1999 (age 25)	23	3	Dhaka Abahani	v.  [[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}|Palestinian National Authority]]; 26 March 2024
FW	Md Rabby Hossen Rahul	(2006-12-30) 30 December 2006 (age 18)	2	0	Bashundhara Kings	v.  Maldives; 13 November 2024INJ
FW	Arman Foysal Akash	(2004-01-13) 13 January 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Dhaka Abahani	v.  Bhutan, 5 September 2024PRE
FW	Md Rafiqul Islam	(2004-02-12) 12 February 2004 (age 21)	7	0	Bashundhara Kings	v.  Lebanon; 11 June 2024
FW	Sumon Reza	(1995-06-15) 15 June 1995 (age 30)	27	1	Dhaka Abahani	v.  [[Palestinian National Authority {{{altlink}}}|Palestinian National Authority]]; 26 March 2024
INJ Player is injured PRE Player is in the first team / on standby COV Player had COVID-19 RET Player has stopped playing for the national team SUS Player is suspended WD Player left the team for reasons other than injury.

Player Records

Players in bold are still playing for Bangladesh.

Most Games Played

Jamal Bhuyan is Bangladesh's most capped player with 87 appearances.

Note: The exact number of games for some players like Alfaz Ahmed and Hassan Al-Mamun is still being checked by the Bangladesh Football Federation.

Top Goal Scorers

Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Chunnu is Bangladesh's top goalscorer with 17 goals.

Note: The goal scorers from the 3–1 win over Bhutan on April 28, 2001, are not known.

Team Achievements

SAFF Championship

SAFF Championship Record
Year	Result	Position	Games	Wins	Draws	Losses	Goals For	Goals Against	Squad
1993	Did not enter
1995	Semi-finals	3rd	3	1	1	1	2	1	Squad
1997	Group stage	5th	2	0	1	1	1	4	N/A
1999	Runners-up	2nd	4	2	1	1	6	3	Squad
2003	Champions	1st	5	4	1	0	8	2	Squad
2005	Runners-up	2nd	5	3	1	1	7	3	Squad
2008	Group stage	6th	3	0	2	1	3	4	Squad
2009	Semi-finals	3rd	4	2	1	1	6	3	Squad
2011	Group stage	7th	3	0	1	2	1	4	Squad
2013	Group stage	7th	3	0	1	2	2	5	Squad
2015	Group stage	5th	3	1	0	2	4	7	Squad
2018	Group stage	5th	3	2	0	1	3	2	Squad
2021	Group stage	4	1	2	1	3	4	Squad
2023	Semi-finals	3rd	4	2	0	2	6	5	Squad
Total	1 Title	13/14	46	18	14	16	52	47	—

South Asian Games

South Asian Games Record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1984	Runners-up	2nd	4	3	0	1	14	4	N/A
1985	Runners-up	2nd	3	2	0	1	11	2	N/A
1987	Fourth place	4th	2	1	0	2	3	2	N/A
1989	Runners-up	2nd	3	1	1	1	4	2	N/A
1991	Third place	3rd	3	2	1	0	4	2	N/A
1993	Group stage	6th	2	0	1	1	0	1	N/A
1995	Runners-up	2nd	4	2	1	1	2	1	N/A
1999	Champions	1st	4	3	0	1	4	1	N/A
2004 to present	See Bangladesh national U-23 team
Total	1 Title	8/8	25	14	4	8	42	15	—

Honours

Regional Titles

• SAFF Championship
  • Champions (1): 2003
  • Runners-up (2): 1999, 2005
  • Third place (2): 1995
• South Asian Games
  • Gold medal (1): 1999
  • Silver medal (4): 1984, 1985, 1989, 1995
  • Bronze medal (1): 1991

Friendly Tournament Wins

• Bangabandhu Gold Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2015
• Quaid-e-Azam International Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1985
  • Third place (1): 1987
• President's Gold Cup
  • Champions (1): 1989
• 4-nation Tiger Trophy
  • Champions (1): 1995
• Jigme Dorji Wangchuk Memorial Trophy
  • Champions (1): 2003
• Mujib Borsho FIFA International Football Series
  • Champions (1): 2020
• Three Nations Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2021

Images for kids

• 

  Islington Corinthians and DSA XI team photo in 1937

• 

  The 4-nation Tiger Trophy in Myanmar became Bangladesh's first international trophy in 1995.

• 

  Bangladesh and India in action during the 1997 SAFF Gold Cup

• 

  Bangladeshi team at the 2021 SAFF Championship in Maldives.

• 

  Bangladeshi fans at the 2021 SAFF Championship in Maldives.

• 

  Bangabandhu National Stadium

• 

  Jamal Bhuyan is Bangladesh's most capped player with 87 appearances.

• 

  Ashraf Uddin Ahmed Chunnu is Bangladesh's top goalscorer with 17 goals.

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Bangladés para niños

• Football in Bangladesh
  • Bangladesh Football Federation
  • Bangladesh national football team performances
  • Bangladesh women's national football team
  • List of Bangladesh national football team managers
  • List of football stadiums in Bangladesh
• Youth Teams
  • Bangladesh national under-23 football team
  • Bangladesh national under-20 football team
  • Bangladesh national under-17 football team