Asia

India’s National Team has never played in a World Cup, but there’s a decent chance that will change when the tournament includes 48 teams in 2026. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) currently sends four teams to the World Cup, and its fifth place team competes in a playoff with the fourth place team from CONCACAF.

When the field expands, eight teams from the AFC will directly qualify. The World Cup’s growth, coupled with the national team’s improvements, provide sufficient reasons to be optimistic about the future of Indian soccer. 

Diego Maradona has one of the more interesting coaching resumes we know of. Besides being a legandary footballer in his own right and managing the Argentina National Team for a spell, Maradona has managed Argentine clubs Racing Club de Avellaneda and Mandiyu de Corrientes and UAE-based Al-Wasl FC.

He's back now, with UAE second-division club Al-Fujairah SC.

Aizawl FC's improbable I-League title is one of the best sports stories of the year, but the fight isn't over for the club based in northeast India.

A proposal to merge the I-League with the Indian Super League to form one unified Indian top division includes every Indian Super League team and three I-League teams, but not Aizawl. The champs are, understandably peeved about this, so much so that they've threatened a hunger strike.

The I-League title race came down to the 18th and final match day of the season, and Aizawl FC prevailed in dramatic fashion. After scoring in the 83rd minute last week to defeat Mohun Bagan, Aizawl only needed a draw against Shillong Lajong FC to clinch the title. Aizawl had to work for the result, as they trailed midway through the second half before Willian Lalnunfela headed home an equalizer in the 67th minute. 

Richard Lai, president of The Guam Football Association since 2001, pled guilty yesterday to two counts of wire fraud and one count of failing to disclose foreign bank accounts. His plea marks the first time that the U.S. investigation into FIFA corruption has indicted an official from outside the Americas. Although Guam is a U.S. Territory, the country competes with others in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

Aizawl FC will probably win India’s premier league (I-league) title. They lead Mohun Bagan by three points going into the last game of the season, so all they have to do is win or draw, or have Mohun Bagan lose or draw. Much more is on the line, however, than just the championship and subsequent entry into a qualification round for the AFC Champions League.

Rumors have been spreading that Brazilian midfielder Paulinho will move to Bayern Munich this summer. He might be out of China anyway, even if that doesn't happen.

Paulinho might actually be deported because of a photo he appeared in with a Japanese porn star (it's safe for work, relax).

Hulk missed out on Shanghai SIPG’s trip to Japan for an AFC Champions League match against Urawa Red Diamonds, so this article isn’t about him scoring an absolute banger after running through 10 defenders, and that's a damn shame.

Oman and Bhutan played an Asian Cup qualifier Tuesday, with Oman winning 14-0. This is about as bad a beatdown as you can get in soccer, and we spent some time thinking about what went through the minds of the losing team.

The 14 Stages Of Losing 14-0

1. Oh no! The other team has scored! We must try to score also and tie the game!

2. Ah well, 2-0 is the most dangerous lead in soccer. We can do this boys!

3. We can still come back. Stranger things have happened.

Matchday seven has passed in Asian 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, and the usual suspects have emerged as favorites to gain passage to Russia. Iran and South Korea control their own destinies in securing Group A’s automatic qualification spots, while Japan, Saudi Arabia and Australia are vying for the top two positions in Group B.

The only real surprise is Uzbekistan’s standing of third in Group A, meaning that a country that’s never been to a World Cup before is on course for the playoff against Group B’s third place side.