The Nepal national football team was founded in 1951. The team affiliated to FIFA in 1970. In six decades of football, around two-thirds of Nepal’s matches have ended in defeat. This embarrassing history has changed with the recent qualification for the Asian Football Confederation‘s Challenge Cup.

Football began in Nepal during the 1920’s. Despite various political instabilities, the game has been played consistently for almost 100 years. Football professionalised in the 1970’s and improved over the following decades. Football is now the most popular sport in the country.

Nepal itself is a fair-sized country in South Asia. Its most famous landmark is Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. Nepal has historically been ruled by a monarchy but voted in a first president in 2008.