With less than three weeks remaining before the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off, excitement is building across Nepal even though the national team will once again be absent from football’s biggest stage. The tournament, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will feature 48 nations for the first time in history.

From social media discussions to tea shop conversations, the World Cup remains one of the most talked-about sporting events in Nepal. Yet while support for international teams is widespread among Nepali fans, Nepal itself has struggled to make an impact in World Cup qualification over the past four decades.

Nepal began participating in FIFA World Cup qualifiers for the first time during the qualification campaign for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Since then, the country has taken part in almost every edition except 1994. Nepal had also registered for the 2006 World Cup qualifiers but later withdrew, resulting in a fine of 10,000 US dollars.

Despite regular participation, Nepal has never progressed beyond the second round of qualification. In most editions, the team was eliminated in the opening stage itself.

Nepal reached the second round for the first time during qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil after defeating Timor-Leste 7-1 on aggregate in the first round. However, the team suffered a heavy 11-1 aggregate defeat against Jordan and was knocked out.

For the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Russia, Nepal was again eliminated in the first round. In the qualification campaign for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Nepal directly entered the second round after finishing among Asia’s top 34 teams in the FIFA rankings.

Nepal was grouped alongside Australia, Kuwait, Jordan and Taiwan in the second round. The team managed only two wins in eight matches and once again failed to progress further.

In the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, Nepal advanced beyond the first round and reached the second round for the second consecutive time. Nepal defeated Laos 2-1 on aggregate in the home-and-away playoff. After drawing the first match 1-1, Nepal secured a 1-0 victory in the second leg to qualify.

However, Nepal endured another disappointing campaign in Group H of the second round, finishing without a single win. Only the group winner and runner-up advanced to the third round of both the AFC Asian Cup and FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

In six matches, Nepal drew one and lost five. The team scored only two goals while conceding 20. Nepal suffered aggregate defeats of 8-0 against the UAE, 4-2 against Yemen and 8-0 against Bahrain.

Except for matches against Yemen, Nepal could not play its home fixtures on home soil because Dasarath Stadium had lost its international accreditation. As a result, matches against the UAE and Bahrain were played abroad, depriving both players and supporters of a genuine home atmosphere during World Cup qualification.

Over four decades of participation, Nepal has reached the second round in only three editions. Internal disputes within the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), the lack of regular domestic leagues and the continuous migration of players have all contributed to the decline of Nepali football.

‘Impossible Without Long-Term Planning’

One of Nepal’s most successful coaches, Bal Gopal Maharjan, believes qualifying for the World Cup is nearly impossible under the current circumstances.

“Those leading football administration have spent the last four years engaged only in disputes,” Maharjan said. “There is no proper football operation, no nationwide training system, no academies, competitions or talent hunts for young players. Where are the results and programmes for the U-16, U-17, U-19 and senior teams? Under such conditions, talking about Nepal qualifying for the World Cup is merely a fantasy.”

He added that Nepali football has continued to decline instead of improving.

“The backbone of any successful football nation is its league structure. In Nepal, the league is held only once every four years. Instead of uplifting Nepali football, we are pushing it further downward,” he said.

According to Maharjan, Nepali football cannot progress unless grassroots systems and academies are properly managed and disputes among football administrators come to an end.

Former player, captain and coach Raju Kaji Shakya, who won gold medals in South Asian Games football, also stressed the importance of long-term planning.

“If we move forward with a long-term plan, we can eventually reach the World Cup. But there must be a clear plan,” Shakya said.

He pointed to the Women’s World Cup 2031 as a realistic target for Nepal.

“There are still five years left. If we begin now with proper planning, investment, facilities, qualified coaches and international exposure, Nepal can qualify for the World Cup,” he said.

Shakya also highlighted the need for structured grassroots development.

“A strong football nation like Japan is working with the goal of winning the World Cup by 2050. Nepal also needs a similar vision,” he said. “Even a large country like India is struggling in football, so Nepal must work even harder with a clear and systematic plan.”