East Bengal FC faced a narrow 0-1 defeat against FK Arkadag in the first of the AFC Challenge League 2024-25 Quarter-final tie in Kolkata on Wednesday.

Arkadag's Gurbanov had drawn the first blood in the opening minutes, which was enough for the Turkmen side to snatch a narrow 1-0 victory. On the other hand, the Kolkata giants failed to pull off a goal in the first leg, and will face Arkadag in the reverse fixture with a one-goal deficit.

𝐅𝐓 | 🇮🇳 East Bengal 0️⃣-1️⃣ FC Arkadag 🇹🇲

The visitors snatch vital advantage ahead of the second-leg tie at home!#ChallengeLeague | #KEBvARK pic.twitter.com/Mlp1ugkhM6

— #ChallengeLeague (@TheAFCGL) March 5, 2025

Early strike from the visitors

East Bengal head coach Oscar Bruzon named five foreigners in the starting line-up for the clash against Arkadag. The Turkmen champions, in fact, have no foreign players in their squad and fielded an entirely Turkmen eleven.

Although East Bengal started things in a slow composure, Richard Celis and Rafael Messi Bouli combined up in the front to create some threat, but the team faced an early setback in the 10th minute of the game.

Yazgylych Gurbanov anticipated the ball in a sudden revival by Durdiyev Didar from the midfield, as the Arkadag midfielder slotted the ball home through the left-bottom corner with a precise grounded strike.

pic.twitter.com/JqOX249RPl

— 【S】 (@maybesagnikk) March 5, 2025

Persistent efforts from East Bengal afterwards

East Bengal quickly tried to buckle up and managed some scoring opportunities in the upcoming minutes. However, despite multiple entries in the final third, East Bengal failed to open the account against a robust Arkadag defence. 

Lalchungnunga delivered a vicious cross from the left in the 21st minute of the game, which was punched away by Arkadag keeper Charyyev Rasul, denying East Bengal attackers in the final third. East Bengal received two back-to-back opportunities from corners in the 40th minute, but the set-pieces went wasted.

Meanwhile, Gurbanov had a chance to extend the lead in the 45th minute of the game, but Gill stayed alert to deny a swift header.

Messi Bouli had an opportunity in the added minutes, but failed to convert it, as the opening half ended with East Bengal trailing 0-1.

East Bengal continued to find the breakthrough in the second half

Bruzon’s team tried to capitalize on space in the second half, with Saul Crespo and Naorem Mahesh Singh in midfield, and Raphael Messi Bouli accompanying Dimitrios Diamantakos up front. Unfortunately, the lack of precision in the final third led to the heartbreaking defeat against Arkadag.

Saul Crespo had two chances to equalize in the 71st minute, but his first shot was blocked, and the second missed the target as the East Bengal skipper was almost down to the ground. PV Vishnu, who has been impactful this season, replaced Celis and had a chance to score but soared the ball over the crosspiece in the 75th minute.

Despite Bruzon's efforts in bringing on Silva and Nishu Kumar, the FC Arkadag defenders effectively limited East Bengal's scoring opportunities. The final chance came again for Crespo, set up by Vishnu’s cutback, but FC Arkadag goalkeeper Charyyev Rasul reacted quickly to deny him.

Arkadag will host East Bengal in the Nusay Stadium in Ashgabat on March 12th for the return leg to seal the passage for the semi-finals of the inaugural AFC Challenge League 2024-25.

Brief Scores

FT | We'll come back stronger in the second leg. ✊#ChallengeLeague #EBFCInAsia pic.twitter.com/zIVwNtMSwu

— East Bengal FC (@eastbengal_fc) March 5, 2025

East Bengal FC: Prabhsukhan Singh Gill (GK); Mohammad Rakip (Nishu Kumar), Lalchungnunga, Hector Yuste; Souvik Chakrabarti, Saul Crespo, Jeakson Singh, Naorem Mahesh, Richard Celis (PV Vishnu), Dimitrios Diamantakos (Cleiton Silva), Rafael Messi Bouli

FC Arkadag: Charyyev Rasul, Guychmyrat Annagulyyev, Mekan Saparov, Basimov Abdy, Mammedov Ybrayym, Yazgylych Gurbanov (Enver Annayev), Mirza Beknazarov (Shamammet Hydyrow), Hojayav Resul (Ahmet Atayev), Begench Akmamedov (Velmyrat Ballakov), Durdiyev Didar, Tirkishov Shanazar.

Full-time score | East Bengal FC 0-1 FK Arkadag (Gurbanov 10')

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) celebrated the best of Indian football at the AIFF Awards 2025, held today in Bhubaneswar, honouring outstanding players, coaches, referees, and member associations for their contributions during the 2024-25 season.

The ceremony highlighted the growing competitiveness of Indian football, with Mohun Bagan SG’s Subhasish Bose and East Bengal FC’s Soumya Guguloth crowned Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year, respectively. 

AIFF Awards 2025 Winners

Individual Awards

• Men's Player of the Year: Subhasish Bose (Mohun Bagan SG, Defender)
  • Recognised for his leadership as captain and stellar performances for Mohun Bagan SG as the mariners became the first team to defend the ISL Shield, along with reclaiming the ISL Cup. Bose kept 13 clean sheets as a defender and scored 6 goals as well. 
• Women's Player of the Year: Soumya Guguloth (East Bengal FC, Forward)
  • Honoured as the top Indian scorer in the Indian Women’s League (IWL) and a key player for the Blue Tigresses. She helped East Bengal FC win the IWL 2024-25 title.
• Men's Goalkeeper of the Year: Vishal Kaith (Mohun Bagan SG)
  • Awarded for holding the record for the most clean sheets in Indian Super League (ISL) history. Kaith had a record 15 clean sheets in ISL 2024-25 and conceded only 19 goals across 26 appearances
• Most Promising Men's Player of the Year: Brison Fernandes (Midfielder)
  • Noted for his midfield mastery and potential as a rising star.
• Most Promising Women's Player of the Year: Neha (Haryana, Winger)
  • Recognised for her performances, including 2 goals in the SAFF U19 Women’s Championship and 3 goals in the Senior Women’s National Championship.
• Men's Coach of the Year: Khalid Jamil (Jamshedpur FC)
  • Won for the second consecutive year for leading Jamshedpur FC to the Kalinga Super Cup semifinals.
• Women's Coach of the Year: Sujata Kar (Sreebhumi FC)
  • Awarded for guiding newly-promoted Sreebhumi FC to a third-place finish in the IWL.
• Male Referee of the Year: Venkatesh R
  • Acknowledged for consistent officiating on the pitch.
• Female Referee of the Year: Tekcham Ranjita Devi
  • Recognised for her officiating excellence.
• Male Referee of the Year: Venkatesh R
• Male Assistant Referee of the Year: Vairamuthu P

Member Association (MA) Awards

• Most Successful MA (Club Competitions): Indian Football Association (West Bengal)
  • For dominance in men’s competitions, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal winning major titles.
• Most Successful MA (NFC Competitions): All Manipur Football Association
  • Recognised for success in the National Football Championships.
• Best MA for Supporting Women’s Football: Punjab Football Association
  • Honoured for contributions to women’s football development.
• Best MA for Hosting Most AIFF Competitions: Football Association of Odisha and Goa Football Association
  • For hosting numerous AIFF events.
• MA with Most Player Registrations (Men’s): Kerala Football Association
  • For the highest number of male player registrations.
• MA with Most Player Registrations (Women’s): Western India Football Association (Maharashtra)
  • For leading in female player registrations.
• Special Award for MA Launching New Projects: Gujarat State Football Association
  • For innovative football initiatives.
• MA with Most Grassroots Activities: Gujarat State Football Association
  • For extensive grassroots programs.
• MA with Most Youth Tournaments Conducted: Karnataka State Football Association
  • For organising numerous youth tournaments.
• MA with Most Coaching Courses: Punjab Football Association
  • For conducting the most coaching courses.
• MA with Most Refereeing Courses: Gujarat State Football Association
  • For leading in referee training programs.

Kerala Blasters FC started their Kalinga Super Cup 2025 on a high note by knocking out defending champions East Bengal by 2-0 in Bhubaneshwar on Sunday. Noah Sadaoui and Jesús Jiménez scored the goals for the Kerala Blasters as they outplayed the Kolkata side. 

With this defeat, East Bengal FC's season ended on a sad note after an overwhelming finish in the Indian Super League 2024-25. 

Kerala Blasters march on! 💥⚽

A dominant 2-0 win over East Bengal seals their spot in the Super 8. Next stop: a high-voltage clash against Mohun Bagan!#KBFC #BlastersOnTheRise #Super8Bound #keralablasters #SuperCup #mohunbagan #EastBengal #Indianfootball #Footballindia pic.twitter.com/ISfwWWWKly

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) April 20, 2025

Jesús Jiménez opened the scoring for Kerala as he found the back of the net from a penalty in the 40th minute of the match. In the second half, Noah Sadaoui extended the lead for the Manjapadas in the 64th minute to hand them an easy win. 

Blasters looked threatening from the word go as Jesus nearly scored from Noah's delivery in the second minute of the game. They kept on applying the pressure, but could not find the end result despite a few chances created by Noah. 

Noah Sadaoui's banger from outside the box in Kerala Blasters vs East Bengal FC match in Kalinga Super Cup 2025. pic.twitter.com/uWjrbpLMDZ

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) April 20, 2025

But it wasn't until the 40th minute that Jesus Jimenez stepped up to take the penalty after Gill made a foul inside the box. 

In the 64th minute, Noah scored a screamer of a goal to extend the lead, which was eventually good enough for them to qualify for the quarter-finals. 

Kerala Blasters will now face Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the quarter-final on 26th April. For those who do not know, Mohun Bagan SG will play from the quarter-final directly after they received a bye in the round of 16. 

"Today, the team showed me that they still have something inside, and they wanted to compete and do their best. I’m proud of them cuz the work they’ve done is amazing. We’ll have to see about Luna. He felt that it wasn’t good and asked for a change. We’ll see," Balsters' coach David Catala said after the win. 

East Bengal FC cemented their status as IWL 2024-25 champions with a commanding 3-0 victory over Gokulam Kerala FC at the East Bengal ground on Friday.

Already assured of the title before kickoff, the Red and Golds showcased their supremacy by defeating every team in the league en route to the championship, with all three goals coming in an explosive first half.

Read Also | Exclusive Shreya Hooda: Best Goalkeeper in IWL & NFC, National team and the World Cup dream

The star of the show was Elshaddai Acheampong, who opened the scoring in the 27th minute. After missing earlier chances, including a header from five yards in the 19th minute, the Ghanaian forward made amends with a clinical finish, chipping the goalkeeper after a deft move past defenders following a pass from Anju Tamang.

Read Also | 10 Best Women's Football Players and Leagues You Must Watch in 2025

Her poacher’s instinct shone again in the 37th minute, tapping in a cross from Karthika Angamuthu at the back post to double the lead. Minutes before halftime, Soumya Guguloth sealed the rout in the 42nd minute, rounding the keeper to score after a perfectly timed through ball.

Read Also | Beatrice Chebet becomes the first woman to run 5km under 14 minutes in Barcelona

Despite the title already in hand, East Bengal displayed remarkable professionalism, dominating possession and stifling Gokulam from the outset. The second half saw Gokulam mount a brief challenge, testing goalkeeper Panthoi Chanu with a long-range effort, but the champions held firm. This win marked the only team East Bengal had yet to beat this season, completing a flawless campaign.

The victory underscored East Bengal’s dominance throughout the season, blending skill, composure, and relentless attacking play.

For Gokulam, the defeat highlighted their struggle against the league’s top side, as East Bengal celebrated a perfect end to their triumphant IWL 2024-25 journey.

The controversy over the potential increase in the 2030 FIFA World Cup roster to 64 teams has gained momentum, with key football officials coming out to oppose it. The Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have joined forces against this controversial suggestion.

Should the 2030 World Cup be expanded to 64 teams❓🌎 🏆

Alejandro Dominguez, president of CONMEBOL, is proposing a one-time expansion of the 2030 Men's World Cup to 64 teams to mark the tournament’s 100th anniversary.

The centenary edition is set to begin with matches in 🇺🇾,… pic.twitter.com/hxbslrotyM

— 433 (@433) April 11, 2025

Concacaf chief Victor Montagliani has joined the increasing call to oppose the plan to increase the World Cup teams to 64, claiming increasing the number of teams "would not be the right move".

AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa also warned against the expansion to 64 teams and the ‘chaos’ it could lead to, telling Agence France Press (AFP), “Personally, I don’t agree."

AFC and CONCACAF Presidents show concerns over expansion

In March's FIFA Council, Uruguayan football chief Ignacio Alonso proposed expansion of the 2030 World Cup. FIFA later announced that it would study the proposal.

Since then, Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez has been the frontrunning campaigner for an expansion to 64 teams. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been silent on the idea, but according to sources close to FIFA, he favours the plan and came up with it in the first place.

🚨 An official proposal to expand the 2030 World Cup to 64 teams has been put forward by the South American Football Confederation. 🌍🏆

(Source: @BBCSport) pic.twitter.com/LDTfggf3BA

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) April 11, 2025

Conmebol have often been his path to market for alterations that he desires – the most stunning of these recently having been for a biennial World Cup cycle.

Last week, Dominguez supported a tournament extension from 48 teams to 64 teams in the 2030 World Cup as a once-off for the centenary celebrations for the global finals. Dominguez said:

We are convinced that the celebration of the centenary will be something unique, because it has only once been 100 years old. And for this reason, we are proposing, for one, to carry out this anniversary with 64 teams, across three simultaneous continents. So that all countries have the opportunity to live a world experience, and so that no one is left out of this party even if it is played everywhere, it is our party.

With Victor Montagliani joining the mounting anti-64-team World Cup campaign, he is joined by fellow FIFA vice presidents Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa (AFC president) and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.

Following Infantino, they are the next three strongest political officials in the world governing body. Montagliani told ESPN:

At Concacaf, we’ve shown that we are open to change by supporting the Women’s World Cup expansion and the continuous evolution of our Confederation’s men’s and women’s national team and club events,”

I don’t believe expanding the men’s World Cup to 64 teams is the right move for the tournament itself and the broader football ecosystem, from national teams to club competitions, leagues, and players.

Yesterday, AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa cautioned against expansion to 64 teams and the 'chaos' it might bring, telling Agence France-Presse: "Personally, I don't agree." He further stated:

If the question is open to amendment, then the door will not only be open to increasing the tournament to 64 teams,"

But somebody will come along and insist on increasing the amount to 132 teams. Where would we get to then? It would be chaos.

Even the president of UEFA, Aleksander Ceferin, who also serves as FIFA vice president, joined the chorus of criticism. He stated:

It is not a good idea for the World Cup itself, and it's not a good idea for our qualifiers as well," 

I don't know where it came from, but it's odd that we didn't know anything prior to this proposal at the FIFA Council."

Would you like a World Cup with 64 teams? 🤔

The 2022 tournament had 32, and 48 will compete in 2026 🏆 pic.twitter.com/sJyyEtaBIE

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 3, 2025

Future World Cups and logistical issues

Excitement is rising for the first-ever 48-team World Cup to be staged in 2026 by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

This event is a huge rise from the traditional 32-team setup, and any further expansion to 64 would double matches to a mind-boggling 128. Contrary to this, the forthcoming 2026 event will host 104 matches to be staged in 16 host cities.

Read Also | FIFA World Cup 2026: Teams qualified so far

The logistical issues for the 2030 World Cup are already significant, with its games spread across three continents. Its initial host nations are Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, but Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina will be hosting the milestone opening games, marking a century since the tournament's first edition was held in Uruguay.

FIFA has yet to comment publicly on the feasibility of this proposal, although they did confirm their duty to consider it.

Read Also | FIFA dismisses Morocco's claims about Western Sahara in the 2030 FIFA World Cup bid assessment report

The proposal is expected to be a subject of debate at FIFA's upcoming 75th Congress, which takes place annually on May 15 in Paraguay's capital, Asunción, which houses the headquarters of Conmebol. The congress agenda is yet to be published, but the plan for a 64-team World Cup will supposedly receive intense local lobbying in the backrooms and corridors of FIFA.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has officially joined the race to host the AFC Asian Cup 2031, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on Friday.

A record seven member associations have officially shown interest in staging the AFC Asian Cup in 2031, all having submitted their candidatures before the March 31 deadline.

AFC President hails unprecedented response for #AsianCup2031 hosting! https://t.co/rghiwutVO9

— AFC (@theafcdotcom) April 11, 2025

India had previously bid for the 2027 version and had a two-horse race with Saudi Arabia. The AIFF, however, pulled out of the bid without much explanation, leaving the hosting rights to the Gulf country, which will also stage the 2034 FIFA World Cup.

India throws its hat in the ring!

India has officially submitted its expression of interest to host the AFC Asian Cup 2031, continental’s top competition.

A record number of bids received by AFC - Australia 🇦🇺 South Korea 🇰🇷 Kuwait 🇰🇼 India 🇮🇳 UAE 🇦🇪 Indonesia 🇮🇩 and the…

— Shaji Prabhakaran (@Shaji4Football) April 11, 2025

Record number of bidders for the AFC Asian Cup 2031

Expanded to 24 teams in 2019, the 2023 edition of the AFC Asian Cup took place in January of 2024 in Qatar, shattering records for attendance, viewing figures, broadcast, and social media usage. 

With the upcoming 2027 edition in Saudi Arabia poised to shatter all previous records once again, now the AFC member countries are all lining up for a piece of the action.

The bidding nations who have lodged their official candidatures include Australia, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and a collective central Asian bid submitted by the Kyrgyz Football Union, Tajikistan Football Federation, and Uzbekistan FA.

Speaking at the AFC’s executive committee meeting ahead of the AFC’s annual congress in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, AFC president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa stated:

The record number of bids that we have received is further testament to the stature and appeal of the AFC Asian Cup and on behalf of the AFC Executive Committee, I would like to put on record our sincere appreciation to all our MAs for outlining their ambition to extend and expand on our proud legacy.

He further added:

The AFC Asian Cup is undoubtedly one of the greatest success stories and the last edition in Qatar firmly cemented Asia’s flagship as one of the best football competitions in the world,

Hosting the AFC Asian Cup™ has consistently provided tangible and intangible benefits, including infrastructure development, enhanced connectivity, organisational expertise, elevated football technical standards and solidifying the host nation’s status as a global sports hub,

The unprecedented level of interest we have witnessed reflects both the high ambitions of the AFC’s Member Associations and their increasing confidence in their own capacities and capabilities to host a tournament as significant as the AFC Asian Cup.

The AFC have officially stated that they will now work with the Bidding MAs in the provision of the required bidding documentation within the stipulated timelines and procedures, with a Bidding Workshop for the AFC Asian Cup 2031 to be conducted later this month.

Subsequently, the bids will be evaluated in totality by the AFC Administration before the host of the 24-team tournament is chosen by the AFC Congress in 2026.

Furthermore, the AFC Executive Committee also endorsed the resolutions of all the Standing Committees, the Organizing Committee for AFC Asian Cup, the AFC Finance Committee, the AFC Competitions Committee, and the AFC Professional Football Committee.

Read Also | Will Indian-Origin players ever get to play for India? AIFF keeps showing its aimless approach