SPORTS
Nepal suffered a major setback at the international level. Amidst the excitement of the FIFA World Cup, what mistake was it punished for?
New news has emerged amid the FIFA World Cup: FIFA has suspended the Nepal team with immediate effect.
New Delhi: The International Football Federation (FIFA) has suspended the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) with immediate effect. This decision by FIFA is being considered a major blow to the game of football and its players in Nepal. According to an official statement issued by FIFA, the Council's Bureau took this tough step after a meeting on June 24, 2026, and banned Nepal until further notice.
FIFA took a big decision
Following this FIFA suspension, no Nepali team or local club will be able to participate in any international competition organized by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). Furthermore, this ban will impact the development of grassroots football in Nepal. The AFC, its members, and officials will no longer be able to access development programs, training sessions, and educational courses provided by FIFA or the AFC.
Outlining the strict sanctions, FIFA said in its official statement, "Effective June 24, 2026, ANFA has lost all its membership rights under Article 13 of the FIFA Statutes until further notice. Therefore, ANFA representative and club teams are not entitled to participate in any international competition until this suspension is lifted. Furthermore, we would like to remind other FIFA and AFC affiliated countries and associations not to have any sporting contact with ANFA or its teams during this period of suspension."
How can the Nepal team survive?
However, amidst this disappointing news, a small sliver of relief has been left for Nepali football. FIFA has clarified that if the circumstances and disputes leading to the suspension are resolved in a timely manner, the ban can be lifted before the next FIFA Congress.
In the final part of the statement, FIFA stated, "The Bureau of the Council or the FIFA Council may decide to lift this suspension at any time before the next FIFA Congress. If such a situation arises in the future or the ban is lifted, we will share information as per the regulations."
