Indian football team players get ready to face Afghanistan in their next match in FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers in Saudi Arabia.

#indianfootball #sunilchhetri #indvafg #fifaworldcupqualifiers

The Indian national football team will take the field against Maldives in a FIFA International Friendly match on 19 March 2025, scheduled to take place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.

Before the Asian Cup 2027 Qualifying campaigns begin next week, India and the Maldives will face each other to prepare for their respective matches in the third qualifying round.

The teams will meet for the first time after October 2021, when India defeated Maldives 3-1 in the 2021 SAFF Championship group stage. Currently, India is ranked 126th in the FIFA International Men's Ranking, whereas Maldives is positioned 162nd.

Last time out against Maldives 🔙🇲🇻
🏆 SAFF Championship 2021

⚽️⚽️ @chetrisunil11
⚽️ @manvir_singh07

5️⃣ days to go for #INDMDV 🇮🇳🆚🇲🇻 in Shillong!
🎫 Tickets coming soon on https://t.co/m3nmyLyj2h 🔜#BlueTigers #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/xCcjcEgCHP

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) March 14, 2025

From possible starting XIs to team news and head-to-head stats, here is everything you need to know about India vs Maldives FIFA International Friendly match in the March 2025 FIFA int'l window.

Match Details

Match: India vs Maldives

Date: 19 March 2025

Time: 7:00 PM IST

Venue: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, (Polo Ground), Shillong

Broadcasting and Streaming Details  

Indian football fans can watch the India vs Maldives friendly match streamed live on Star Sports Network. The match will also be streamed live on the JioHotstar App and the JioHotstar website.  

Head-to-head stats

Matches played: 21

India Wins: 15

Malaysia wins: 4

Draws: 2

Team News

India

It has been almost 18 months since India last experienced a victory in an international fixture, which came against Kuwait, beating them 1-0 away from home in the second round of World Cup Qualifiers.

India is yet to win a match under Igor Stimac's successor Manolo Marquez since his appointment in July 2024. India suffered a goalless draw against Mauritius in the Intercontinental Cup 2024, which was also the Spaniard's debut game in charge; and the Blue Tigers lost their second match by 0-3 against Syria.

During the international break in October, India was held to a 1-1 against Vietnam in a friendly, and again, shared the spoils against Malaysia in a 1-1 stalemate in November 2024.

Matchday minus 2️⃣🐯🇮🇳#BlueTigers #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/tD2Kcnz2Xe

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) March 17, 2025

However, the Indian team will commence their journey in the Qualifiers to reach the third consecutive Asian Cup next week as they will face Bangladesh on March 25. Manolo will also leave his position at FC Goa at the end of the season to focus solely on the national side.

Manolo Márquez names the India squad for March FIFA Window 🇮🇳

🗣️ Márquez: "The qualification for the Asian Cup is very crucial for us. Given the importance of the tournament and the matches ahead, I discussed with Sunil Chhetri about making a comeback to strengthen the National… pic.twitter.com/TlwShiL7hb

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) March 6, 2025

Indian legend Sunil Chhetri has come out of retirement to play for India again, but star forward Lallianzuala Chhagte has been sidelined due to an injury. Defender Asish Rai has been ruled out as well and will be replaced by Tekcham Abhishek Singh, who got his maiden national call-up.

Last 5 matches: L D L D D

Maldives

Maldives has only played two friendlies in the last 18 months, both against Bangladesh in November 2024. The Red Snappers won the first one 1-0 but faced a 1-2 defeat in the following match.

However, after the controversial departure of former head coach Francesco Moriero in 2023, Ali Suzain was appointed as the new head coach, which marks his second spell at the helm. 

Suzain has picked up a relatively younger squad for the clash against India, which will help them to analyze the team better before they start their Asian Cup qualifying campaign in the next week as well. Maldives will face Philippines on 25 March to begin their quest to reach Asian Cup 2027.

Maldives has no current news of any concerning injury, as they will have their full squad fit and available for the encounter against India.

Last 5 matches: L D L W L

Predicted Line-ups

India

Vishal Kaith (GK); Naorem Roshan Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose; Suresh Singh Wangjam, Apuia; Brandon Fernandes, Irfan Yadwad; Sunil Chhetri

Maldives

Hussain Shareef (GK); Hussain Sifaau, Samooh Ali, Mohamed Irufaan, Hassan Shifaz; Irfan, Ibrahim Mahudhee, Hussain Nihan, Ahmed Aiham, Mohamed Naim; Hassan Naiz, Ali Fasir

Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona Starkid has yet again shown his prowess during FC Barcelona's LaLiga 2024-25 encounter against Atletico Madrid last night. 

The 17-year-old Spanish forward scored a winner for Barcelona in the second minute of injury time to hand a crucial three points to the Catalan giants. 

AURA.

17 year-old Lamine Yamal doing things that only legends have done in their prime!

A goal in the added time to hand Barcelona full points against Atletico Madrid! #LamineYamal #FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/UiShcXsGCe

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) March 16, 2025

Barcelona proceeded to win the match 4-2 over Atletico, and Lamine was named Man of the Match for his outstanding performance throughout the game.

Read Also | Atletico Madrid vs FC Barcelona LaLiga 2024 - 25 Highlights: Yamal's late goal gives Barcelona full points; ATM 2-4 FCB

However, just as quite a few times before, Lamine Yamal has broken the headlines and is already considered the best footballer in the world by many. 

Lamine Yamal's 11 career goals are now tied for the most by a player before turning 18 years old in LALIGA history 😲

Starboy 🤩 pic.twitter.com/UZUXUPBVI6

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 16, 2025

At the age of 17, Lamine Yamal already holds some prestigious silverware, team achievements, and personal accolades. Compared to the renowned footballers who stormed into the headlines while being at the age of 17, Lamine has been showing immense potential day in and out for FC Barcelona and Spain.

Convincingly, Lamine is frequently compared to the footballers who started to prove their potential at the young age of 17, footballers who went on to be all-time greats such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, or Neymar Jr. 

This article delves into the discourse of whether Lamine Yamal is the best 17-year-old footballer ever.

Lamine Yamal: Compared to the greatests of the game

When compared to the greatests to ever grace football, Lamine Yamal possesses some outstanding numbers and accolades than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when they were aged 17.

According to FOX Sports, here are his stats compared to Messi and Ronaldo's by their age 17 seasons, accounting till March 17, 2025.

Lamine Yamal is DIFFERENT. 🇪🇸⭐️

Here are his stats compared to Messi and Ronaldo's by their age 17 seasons 👀 pic.twitter.com/w5ybqKdIrX

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 11, 2025

Lamine Yamal: Achievements so far

So, by the age 17 season, Lamine Yamal has already overtaken Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of stats and importance in the first-team squad for their respective clubs.

Lamine's international career is even more impressive, whereas Messi and Ronaldo both got their national call-ups at the age of 18. On the contrary, Lamine has already won the Euros with Spain at the age of 16, proving himself crucial for the senior Spanish national football team as well. 

Here are Lamine's personal and team achievements in Club football for Barcelona so far:

• LaLiga Champion 2022-23
• Supercopa De Espana Champion 2025
• La Liga U23 Player of the Season 2023-24
• Golden Boy 2024
• Kopa Trophy 2024
• IFFHS World's Best Men's Youth (U20) Player 2024
• Globe Soccer Award Emerging Player 2024

Here are the personal and team achievements of Lamine for Spain:

• UEFA Euro 2024 Champion
• Euro Young Player of the Tournament 2024
• UEFA Euro 2024 top assist provider 2024 (4 assists)
• UEFA European Under-17 Championship top scorer 2023 (4 goals)

Along with the numbers and accolades, Lamine already holds some breathtaking records to his name, which can be felt unbelievable considering his age. 

Here are the major records the Barcelona youngster is currently holding:

There are plenty of other achievements in different awards, and nominations that Lamine has earned by this age.

To add more context, at the age of 17, Neymar Jr. was taking Brazil by storm while playing for Santos; whereas Kylian Mbappe just emerged as a generational talent while playing for Monaco. 

Conclusion

Whenever Lamine Yamal steps onto the pitch, he definitely plays like one of the best footballers in the world. This is no longer an exaggerated claim that Yamal played a crucial role in helping Barcelona reach the Champions League quarterfinals this season.

Lamine has consistently performed at a high level for over a year now. He showcased his talent at the Euros and has made an impact all across Spain. Since February 2024, he has contributed to 45 goals for both club and country. Remember, he is only 17!

His trajectory resembles that of Lionel Messi. However, this doesn't guarantee that he will equal Messi's achievements because football careers are rarely linear and injuries can inflict challenges. Still, it isn't far-fetched to say that he has the potential to enter the club of all-time greats at the oblivion of his career.

Convincingly, Lamine Yamal has already established himself as the best 17-year-old footballer in history. Barcelona fans are seemingly very optimistic about his future and look forward to a remarkable career ahead for this young talent.

The 18th season of the IPL will begin from March 22 and once again a fierce battle between bat and ball will be witnessed in this league. Everyone's eyes will be on who hits the most sixes this season, but let us tell you about which batsman has hit the most sixes in the last 17 seasons of IPL so far.

There have been many great batsmen in the IPL who have hit a lot of sixes so far. There are some batsmen who are no longer a part of this league and some are playing in it and they can go higher in this list.

Also Read: Most runs in IPL since 2018

Let's talk about the top 10 batsmen who have hit the most sixes in IPL so far, which also includes many Indians.

Most Sixes in IPL | Top 10 List

10. Suresh Raina | 203

Mr. IPL, Suresh Raina grabs the tenth position in this elite list. The southpaw has 203 sixes in 200 IPL innings. He takes around 19.91 deliveries for every six.

He is only among ten batters to hit 200+ maximums in the league. Raina has accumulated 5528 runs at an average of 32.51 and a strike rate of 136.73. He also has 39 fifties and a century in the league.

9. Sanju Samson | 206

The captain of Rajasthan Royals (RR), Sanju Samson is the ninth batter to find a spot in this list. He has 206 six in 163 IPL innings. On average, he hits a six every 15.43 balls in the league.

Overall, Samson has 4419 runs at an average of 30.68 and a strike rate of 138.96. He also has 25 fifties and three centuries. Samson will also step up to this list and add more to his tally in the upcoming edition.

8. Andre Russell | 209

Among the most fearsome batters in the history of the league, Andre Russell’s name is no surprise. Russell’s association with six-hitting is well known. He has amassed 209 maximums at an unbelievable 6.79 balls-per-maximum ratio.

The Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder has 2484 runs at an average of 29.22 and a strike rate of 174.92 in 105 IPL innings. He also has 11 fifties to his name.

Russell had even hit 11 sixes during 2018 in an innings against Chennai Super Kings.

7. Kieron Pollard | 223

Kieron Pollard, a powerhouse in the middle order for Mumbai Indians, comes seventh in this list with 223 sixes. The former West Indies all-rounder played several memorable knocks for the Mumbai Indians in the 189 matches that he played for them.

Pollard was known for depositing the ball back into the stands and did so quite frequently in the league. His ability to change the course of a game in a few overs has made him one of the most dangerous finishers in IPL history.

He has 3412 runs at an average of 28.67 and a strike rate of 147.32. Further, Pollard has also hit 16 fifties in the league. 

6. David Warner | 236

David Warner has hit 236 sixes in his IPL career. The former Australia batter has played a total of 184 matches in IPL, featuring for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals.

Warner has a terrific record in the league and was known for hitting big shots throughout his successful career in the league. His aggressive start at the top often sets the tone for his team's innings.

Warner has scored 6565 runs at an average of 40.52 and a strike rate of 139.77 in 184 innings. He also has 62 boundaries and four maximums. 

However, Warner went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega-auction.

5. AB de Villiers | 251

AB de Villiers finished his IPL career with 251 sixes and he is the fifth highest six-hitter in the T20 league. de Villiers retired from the T20 league after IPL 2021. He had a long stint with RCB.

AB started his IPL career with Delhi Capitals (then known as Delhi Daredevils). He joined RCB in the IPL 2011 mega-auction and was retained by them in 2014 and 2018. de Villiers never captained RCB.

Overall, the Proteas batter has 5162 runs at an average of 39.70 and a strike rate of 151.68. Further, he also has 40 fifties and three centuries.

Also Read: IPL Facts: Which player has lost the most games in IPL history?

4. MS Dhoni | 252

MS Dhoni sits at the fourth spot in the list of batsmen with most sixes in IPL. The former Indian skipper has 252 sixes of 264 matches in this cash rich league.

Dhoni started his IPL career with Chennai Super Kings. He also played for Rising Pune Supergiant in IPL 2016 and 2017.

Overall, Dhoni has 5243 runs at an average of 39.12 and a 137.53 strike rate. Further, he also has 24 fifties in the league.

Dhoni will make his on-field return in IPL 2025. CSK retained Dhoni in the uncapped category for Rs 4 crore. He will continue to play under Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Dhoni captained CSK to five IPL title wins before stepping down.

3. Virat Kohli | 272

Rohit Sharma is followed by Virat Kohli. The IPL legend sits at the third spot with 272 sixes in 252 matches. One of Virat and Rohit can become the first Indian to hit 300 sixes in IPL.

Virat also holds the record for playing for the same franchise, RCB, in every IPL season and while doing so, he has scored more than 8000 runs at an average of 38.66 and a strike rate of 131.97. Further, he also has 55 boundaries and eight maximums. He is also the leading run-scorer in the league

Kohli started his career as a rookie and is now the biggest star in the T20 league. He will play under Rajat Patidar's captaincy in RCB for IPL 2025.

2. Rohit Sharma | 280

Indian team captain Rohit Sharma sits at the second spot in this list. The right-handed batsman has cleared the ropes 280 times in 257 matches. Rohit has been a regular in IPL since the league's inception.

Rohit started his IPL career with Deccan Chargers. He joined Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2011 mega-auction and has been with them since then.

Rohit captained MI to 5 IPL title wins. He now plays under Hardik Pandya's captaincy.

Rohit has also been a prolific run-scorer, with 6628 runs at an average of 29.72 and a strike rate of 131.14, including 43 half-centuries and two centuries. 

1. Chris Gayle | 357

Chris Gayle tops the list of batsmen with most sixes in IPL history. The left-handed batsman finished his IPL career with 357 big hits at a sixes-per-match ratio of 2.53 in the league. No other batsman has managed to hit more than 300 sixes in this T20 league.

Gayle started his IPL career with Kolkata Knight Riders. After going unsold in the IPL 2011 mega-auction, Gayle joined RCB as a replacement player and had a memorable stint with them. He also played for Punjab Kings from IPL 2018 to 2021.

Overall, Gayle has scored 4965 runs at an average of 39.72 and a strike rate of 148.96, including 31 fifties and six centuries in IPL. 

Eddie Howe has become the first English manager to lift a major trophy in men's football since the year 2008.

The 47-year-old manager has paved Newcastle United’s way to a major domestic trophy, as the Magpies salvaged a deserved 2-1 victory against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup Final last night.

𝐂.𝐇.𝐀.𝐌.𝐏.𝐈.𝐎.𝐍.𝐒 🏆

Newcastle United lift a domestic title for the first time in 70 years!

They beat Liverpool FC to clinch the Carabao Cup 2024-25!

Congrats, Newcastle United!#NewcastleUnited #CarabaoCupFinal #CarabaoCup #LiverpoolFC pic.twitter.com/RUfDu2zNhj

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) March 16, 2025

The Newcastle United manager has touched the silverware to be only the first English manager to lift a major trophy in Men’s football since Harry Redknapp led Portsmouth to win the FA Cup in 2008.

Eddie Howe is the first Englishman to win a major domestic trophy in England since Harry Redknapp won the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008. pic.twitter.com/wTJLF6fykH

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) March 16, 2025

After 17 years, the drought has finally been broken by Eddie, who expressed that he will “certainly won’t” forget this, stating the fact that Newcastle has won a major domestic trophy in 70 years.

With such a long wait for a trophy, this will be a day that I’m sure everyone will never forget,

In this article, we discuss the last English managers to lift each of the major honours available in men’s football, before Eddie Howe lifted the Carabao Cup last night.

Harry Redknapp – FA Cup

Harry Redknapp was the last English manager to win one of the major domestic men's football titles when he led Portsmouth to FA Cup victory in 2008.

The team's triumph was secured by Nigeria striker Nwankwo Kanu, who scored the only goal in a 1-0 win against Cardiff City in the Final. 

🎥 "It was full of good players, that team, and it was a fantastic time" 🏆

🔟 years on from #Pompey's FA Cup win in 2008, manager that day Harry Redknapp recalls the Blues' fairytale run to the final, which culminated in a 1-0 win over Cardiff at Wembley Stadium ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/8rJ0ZW58ha

— Portsmouth FC (@Pompey) May 17, 2018

Steve McClaren – League Cup

Steve McClaren led Middlesbrough to the first major trophy in the club’s history when they defeated Bolton Wanderers to win the 2004 EFL Cup, which was known as the Carling Cup at the time.

Joseph-Desire Job scored an early goal, and Bolo Zenden converted a penalty, putting Middlesbrough ahead 2-0 within the first seven minutes at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

Although Kevin Davies managed to pull one back for the Sam Allardyce-coached Bolton side, the Teessiders held on to secure the victory.

Middlesbrough players celebrate with manager Steve McClaren after their victory over Bolton Wanderers in the Carling Cup Final match between Bolton Wanderers and Middlesbrough at The Millennium Stadium (2004) pic.twitter.com/Q44rCDLUyd

— Great British Getty Images (@shitbritishpics) February 25, 2024

Howard Wilkinson – First Division

No English manager has won the Premier League title; however, Scottish manager Sir Alex Ferguson achieved this remarkable feat 13 times. The last English manager to lead a championship-winning team was Howard Wilkinson, who did so in the final season of the old First Division. 

Wilkinson’s Leeds United secured the title by defeating Sheffield United 3-2 on the penultimate weekend of the 1991-92 season. Meanwhile, Manchester United, managed by Ferguson at that time, lost 2-0 to Liverpool. Ultimately, Leeds topped the table, finishing four points ahead of Manchester United.

#ManagerMonday Howard Wilkinson

To coincide with the release of 1992 - The Birth of Modern Football by @rob_fletcher_

'Sgt Wilko' won the last 1st Division Championship with Leeds United in 1992 and is still the last Englishman to win the top flight league title in England pic.twitter.com/XLZVVL6YjC

— 80s&90sFootball ⚽ (@80s90sfootball) March 27, 2023

Sir Bobby Robson – Cup Winners’ Cup

Although domestic success has been limited for English managers, achieving glory in European competitions has been even more challenging.

The last major European triumph for an Englishman came under the guidance of the legendary Sir Bobby Robson, who led FC Barcelona to victory in the UEFA European Cup Winners' Cup in 1997. Ronaldo secured the win with a penalty, resulting in a 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

Sir Bobby Robson, Ronaldo and José Mourinho after winning the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1997. pic.twitter.com/XMGY24l9ff

— 90s Football (@90sfootball) March 9, 2023

Joe Fagan – European Cup

Although no manager has yet won the Champions League, Joe Fagan is the most recent winner of the tournament's predecessor, the European Cup in 1984.

Fagan succeeded Bob Paisley as the manager of Liverpool during the summer of 1983. He watched from the sidelines as Alan Kennedy scored the decisive penalty in a shootout victory against AS Roma in the Italian capital, marking Liverpool's fourth triumph in the European Cup in seven years.

#OnThisDay 4️⃣0️⃣ years ago...

Fagan's Reds beat Roma in their own backyard to confirm European Cup number 4 🏆🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/nRTCh3yAdg

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 30, 2024

Keith Burkinshaw – UEFA Cup

Manager Keith Burkinshaw secured the UEFA Cup, the predecessor of the Europa League, with Tottenham in the 1984 season.

Tottenham had drawn 1-1 against Anderlecht in the first leg in Brussels. In the return leg, captain Graham Roberts scored a late equalizer to end the match 2-2 after extra time.

The Spurs went on to win the trophy by securing a 4-3 victory in the shootout, as Goalkeeper Tony Parks saved a penalty from Anderlecht's Arnor Gudjohnsen.

PARKS SAVES! We’ve won the 1984 UEFA Cup! #TheLaneTheFinale
✅✅✅✅❌
❌✅✅✅❌ pic.twitter.com/acn3Acxmzk

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 11, 2017

Newcastle United has won their first domestic silverware in 70 years after beating Liverpool 2-1 in the EFL Cup final at the Wembley Stadium. Newcastle United arrived at Wembley for the Carabao Cup final determined to end football's longest-ever trophy droughts, with no success in any competition since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fair Cup triumph.

From the start of the game, Eddie Howe's managed side was superior to Liverpool. The deadlock was broken just before half-time by Dan Burn. Liverpool was beyond poor in the first half. Alexander Isak doubled Newcastle's lead after a minute before his goal ruled out. 

Federico Chiesa scored a consolation goal in the dying minutes. But Newcastle's defense held on to secure an emotional victory. Here are the 10 records created by Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup 2025 triumph.

GOOD MORNING! 😍 pic.twitter.com/pCqxLC3Sfl

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) March 17, 2025

10 records created by Newcastle United:

WE ARE NEWCASTLE UNITED

CARABAO CUP WINNERS#wedontdoquiet pic.twitter.com/83eJqEr3gb

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) March 16, 2025

Record 1:

Newcastle United's starting XI contained five different players aged 30 or older, with the average age of the side 29 years 13 days, the oldest by a side in a cup final since Manchester City in 2018.

Record 2:

Dan Burn became the first Newcastle player to score a goal in a major domestic League Cup final since Alana Gowling netted against Manchester City in the 1976 League Cup final.

Record 3:

Dan Burn (32years) is the third oldest Englishmen to score in a League Cup final, after Stoke City's Geroge Eastham in 1972 (35years) and John Terry for Chelsea in 2015 (34years)

Record 4:

Dan Burn was also the first Newcastle Player to score a competitive goal at Wembley Stadium since Rob Lee in April 2000.

Record 5:

Liverpool did not attempt a single touch of the ball in the Newcastle box or a shot in the League Cup final until three minutes into the first half added time.

Record 6:

Jacob Murphy has assisted Alexander Isak eight times for Newcastle this season; the most by any Premier League player for teammates across all competitions.

Record 7:

They have become the 24th different winners of the Carabao Cup since the tournament's inception in 1960.

Record 8:

Newcastle United has won their first piece of domestic silverware since 1955. It will be a night to remember.

Record 9:

Alexander Isak celebrated his 100th Newcastle appearance with the 58th goal for the club. Without any question, the goal was the decider.

Record 10:

Newcastle United has secured European football next season, as they secured UEFA Conference League by winning the Carabao Cup.