FIFA suspends Nepal over third-party interference

World football’s governing body FIFA has suspended Nepal’s football association, officials said Thursday, barring the country from all international competitions.

Nepal is currently ranked 175th in FIFA’s world rankings. The women’s national team ranks 88th.

FIFA said in a letter to the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) that the decision came after “undue interference by a third party”, referring to arguments between ANFA and Nepal’s National Sports Council, the country’s authority for sports administration, over governance of Nepali football.

FIFA holds that a national football association must operate independently of government bodies.

FIFA decided on Wednesday “to suspend ANFA with immediate effect due to flagrant violations of the FIFA Statutes,” FIFA’s Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom said in the letter, shared by ANFA on Facebook.

The council had suspended ANFA in March 2026 for three months as the association was preparing for an election process that FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation had agreed to. It was later lifted in May.

The required elective congress has been repeatedly delayed, with the sports council issuing several directives, including the amendment of ANFA’s statutes under the country’s sports development act.

“The suspension is an issue of grave concern, we are consulting with all stakeholders to lift the suspension keeping Nepal’s football in priority,” ANFA spokesman Suresh Shah told AFP.

The suspension means Nepal can no longer participate in international competitions and the association will lose out on FIFA development programmes, courses or trainings.

“It impacts our players, barring them from opportunities and dampens dreams of aspiring players,” Shah added.

FIFA said the suspension will be lifted if the council revokes its March decisions and allows ANFA to finalise its electoral process.

“The government never wanted this… we are looking for alternative ways to address this crisis,” said Ram Charitra Mehta, a member secretary of the National Sports Council.