FIFA pulled the plug on Nepal’s football operations on June 24, 2026, suspending the All Nepal Football Association from every competition under its umbrella. The reason: third-party interference, specifically from Nepal’s own National Sports Council.
The suspension is immediate and total. Nepal’s national teams, domestic clubs, and football officials cannot participate in any matches or tournaments governed by FIFA or the Asian Football Confederation until further notice.
What happened and why it matters
The suspension was enacted under Article 14, paragraphs 1(i) and 3, of the FIFA Statutes. In plain English, that’s the section FIFA uses when a member association’s independence is compromised by outside forces, typically government bodies or courts trying to control how a national football federation operates.
In this case, the outside force is Nepal’s National Sports Council, a government-linked body that has been refusing to recognize ANFA’s electoral processes. ANFA General Secretary Kiran Rai confirmed the decision, pointing directly to the NSC’s actions as the trigger.
