On 10 December 2019, the then AIFF Executive Committee decided that a futsal club competition would be part of their calendar from 2020–21 season onwards. [3] The club championship, that was conceptualized in 2019, was held for the first time in November 2021 and followed by the second edition in February 2023. [4] [5] Based on the performance of the players in Futsal Club Championship, AIFF scouts selected a 31 members squad for the national team camp for creating the India national futsal team. [6] [7] Victor Hermans as futsal advisor in May 2023, and Joshuah Vaz as head coach in July 2023, were appointed to guide the team for India's first participation in major tournament, the qualification competition for the 2024 AFC Futsal Asian Cup. [8] [9]
In August 2023, the AIFF announced that India would play two international friendlies against Bahrain as a preparation for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup qualification. A fourteen-member squad of the first ever India national team was announced. [10] The team made its debut in a 3–0 loss against Bahrain at Khalifa Sports City Hall in Isa Town on 12 August 2023. [11] In the second match on 14 August, India was defeated again by Bahrain with a bigger scoreline of 4–0. [12]
India was drawn in Group E of the Asian Cup qualification where they faced Tajikistan, Myanmar and Palestine, from 2 to 13 October 2023. [10] In the first match against Tajikistan, India lost 3–6 to the host. David Laltlansanga scored all the goals, thus becoming the first ever goalscorer, as well as scoring the first ever hat-trick for the national team. [13] India again suffered loss in the next two matches, 2–5 to Myanmar and 5–6 to Palestine, thus failing to qualify for the 2024 AFC Futsal Asian Cup. K. Roluahpuia and Nikhil Mali scored twice each, while Laltlansanga scored six goals in this qualifying edition. [14] [15]
2025–present
In March 2025, the AIFF announced that India will be participating in the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup qualification. [16] India was drawn in Group A along with Kuwait, Australia and Mongolia. [17] Iranian Reza Kordi was appointed head coach of the national team. [18] As a preparation for the qualifiers, India played two international friendlies against Lebanon, both of which they lost. [19] [20] In the qualifiers, India lost the first match against Kuwait by 1–4; in the second match against Australia on 22 September 2025, India registered its worst defeat of 1–10. [21] [22] However, in the third match India finally registered its first ever win, a 3–0 victory against Mongolia. With just 3 points, India failed to qualify for the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup. [23]
In May 2025, at the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Congress in Kathmandu, it was proposed that a SAFF Futsal Championship would be held annually. On 5 October 2025, SAFF announced that the first ever SAFF Futsal Championship for both men and women would be held from 13 to 26 January 2026, in Thailand. [24] [25] The tournament was in round-robin format. [26] With 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss, India finished as runners-up. Out of the 3 wins, India's 11–3 victory against Bhutan is their biggest ever win. [27] [28]
2 (12 December 2025) [1] 
Bahrain 3–0 India 
Bhutan 3–11 India 
