All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) on Monday sacked Igor Stimac as the head coach of the Indian men’s football team following a disappointing FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers campaign.
Stimac had taken charge of the Blue Tigers on May 15 2019, after the departure of Stephen Constantine.
Under the Croat, India won four major honours, including two SAFF Championships, one Intercontinental Cup and a Tri-Nations Series.
He became the first India coach to win three trophies in a year, winning the SAFF Championship, Tri-Nations Series and the Intercontinental Cup last year. However, India had a forgettable outing in the AFC Asian Cup this year, losing to Australia, Syria and Uzbekistan.
India’s results in major tournaments under Stimac:
- 2019 King’s Cup: Third place finish
- 2021 SAFF Championships: Winner
- 2022 World Cup Qualification: Third place finish
- 2023 Tri-Nations Trophy: Winner
- 2023 Intercontinental Cup: Winner
- 2023 SAFF Championships: Winner
- 2024 AFC Asian Cup: Qualified for consecutive Asian Cups for first time
- FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers: Out of World Cup 2026 race