A year of hope, hype and disappointment

Not too long ago, finding a Bangladesh national football team jersey in Dhaka felt like a scavenger hunt. European club jerseys dominated shop displays, while cricket shirts filled whatever space remained. Bangladesh football team jerseys, if available at all, were tucked away in corners.

Fast forward to the end of 2025, and the scene has changed dramatically. The unmistakable white shirt with green patches and red trim now hangs proudly across sports shops and footpath stalls alike, often outnumbering cricket and European club jerseys.

For perhaps the first time in many years, football reclaimed centre stage in Bangladesh's sporting consciousness, briefly unseating cricket from its long-held throne. Crowded galleries at men's international matches, relentless social media buzz and renewed mainstream media attention all pointed towards a revival long craved by supporters.

The spark behind this resurgence was unmistakable. The arrival of Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury electrified the football landscape, followed by a steady influx of overseas-based players such as Cavalry FC's Shamit Shome and promising youngsters Fahamedul Islam, Zayyan Hakim and Cuba Mitchell. With these additions came belief – belief that Bangladesh football was finally turning a corner.

Expectations soared. The national team became more marketable, sponsorship interest grew, merchandise sales increased and the National Stadium once again echoed with genuine footballing passion. Yet, as the year unfolded, a familiar and frustrating reality resurfaced: the hype was rarely matched by performances on the pitch.

Bangladesh were handed what many described as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup finals for the first time since their maiden appearance in 1980. Drawn in Group C alongside India, Hong Kong and Singapore in an expanded 24-team tournament, Javier Cabrera and his squad had every reason to believe that qualification was within reach.

The campaign began promisingly with a goalless draw away to India in Shillong – a match Bangladesh arguably should have won comfortably. Yet, it felt like a statement performance, one that could have set the tone for the rest of the qualifiers. Instead, it proved to be a false dawn.

Rather than building on that result, Cabrera's men stumbled badly at home, suffering back-to-back defeats against Singapore and Hong Kong. Those losses, both by narrow one-goal margins, effectively extinguished Bangladesh's qualification hopes before the campaign had truly gathered momentum.

While the scorelines suggested close contests, the reality was harsher: Bangladesh were second best for large stretches, even with a partisan crowd roaring them on at the renovated National Stadium.

As results faltered, scrutiny intensified. Questions were raised repeatedly about the head coach's tactical choices, squad selections and the frequent reshuffling of players into unfamiliar positions. However, such criticisms rarely translated into accountability, as the Bangladesh Football Federation continued to back the Spaniard, who ended the year as the longest-serving head coach in the national team's history.

The sense of underachievement lingered until the year's final act provided a moment of redemption. Bangladesh closed 2025 with a memorable 1-0 victory over India at home – a result that ended a 22-year winless run against their neighbours and delivered a night of unfiltered joy to millions of fans. It was a win rich in symbolism and emotion, one that will be remembered fondly.

But even that triumph could not entirely mask the broader truth.

Despite an influx of quality players, unprecedented public engagement and renewed belief, the Bangladesh men's football team failed to deliver when it mattered most. The year became a familiar cycle of hope followed by heartbreak, of promise undone by poor execution and missed opportunities. The long-awaited win over India arrived, but it came too late to alter the bigger picture.

Bangladesh men's football team's stats in 2025

Matches played: 8, competitive: 5, friendly: 3

Won: 2, drawn: 4, lost: 2

Goals scored: 10, goals conceded: 9

Change in FIFA ranking at year-end: Up to 180 from 185