Football in Bangladesh

Football in Bangladesh
Football in Bangladesh
	Bangladesh football fans during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match between Bangladesh and Lebanon in 2023
Country	Bangladesh
Governing body	Bangladesh Football Federation
National team(s)	Men's national team
National competitions
	FIFA World Cup; AFC Asian Cup; AFC Challenge Cup (defunct); SAFF Championship; South Asian Games; President's Gold Cup (defunct); AFC U-20 Asian Cup; SAFF U-20 Championship; AFC U-17 Asian Cup; SAFF U-17 Championship;
Club competitions
	List League: ; Bangladesh Premier League ; Bangladesh Championship League ; Senior Division League ; Second Division League ; Third Division League ; Bangladesh Pioneer League; Cups:; Challenge Cup ; Federation Cup ; Independence Cup ; DMFA Cup (defunct); ;
International competitions
	AFC Challenge League ; AFC Cup (defunct) ; AFC Champions League (defunct) ; Aga Khan Gold Cup (defunct)

Football is one of the most popular sports in Bangladesh, introduced during the late 19th century under British rule, with Dhaka playing a central role in its development.^[1]^[2] The Bangladesh Football Federation was founded in 1972, a year after the country’s independence. The national team made its official debut at the 1973 Merdeka Cup in Malaysia. Domestic football resumed the same year with the Dhaka First Division League, which had existed since before the partition of India and attracted internationally renowned players like Nasser Hejazi and Emeka Ezeugo. Professional football was introduced in 2007 with the Bangladesh Premier League, known formerly as the B.League.^[3]

^ Cite error: The named reference IJCRT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference BOB was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Roy, Bishwajit (7 September 2020). "No point shying away from reality". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.