India's goals against FIFA's top 50 nations
Ryan Williams’ goal against Panama is the latest addition to the list.
Gone are the days when India were seen as one of the strongest teams in Asia, and yet Ryan Williams netted a cool finish into the net of the world’s 44th-best footballing nation, Panama. India’s goal against a country ranked 94 spots above caused a glimmer of belief, felt by many Indian football fans.
When a nation and its people inherit an unlucky era, bereft of glory and pride on the international stage, it is perhaps the past that can give one hope. There was a time when India would consistently rub shoulders against the best, be it in the Olympics or in the Asian Games.
In this article, we will take a look at a list of all the goals scored by India’s senior men’s national team against the current top 50 teams in world football.
Against Australia – 23 goals in 9 matches
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One can argue over the legitimacy of the majority of these goals, as they were scored in friendlies before India attained freedom from the British. 16 goals came during the Indian team’s tour of Australia in 1938 across 5 matches, when they played barefoot against the Aussies.
The two teams met again in the 1956 Olympics, when Neville D’Souza bagged a historic hat-trick at the Melbourne Cricket Ground under the tutelage of the legendary “Rahim Saab”.
Later that same year, India thrashed Australia by a 7-1 margin at the Sydney Sports Ground in a friendly. P.K. Banerjee, Neville D’Souza and Jagannath Krishnaswamy all scored braces.
Against France – 2 goals in 2 matches
India have played Les Bleus twice – once in the 1948 Olympics and again in the 1960 one. Sarangapani Raman scored in a 1-2 defeat in the 1948 London Olympics. Playing bare feet, the Indians missed two penalties in the first half. Hearts broke as Rene Persillon scored in the 89th minute to take the French to the Quarterfinals.
The final time the two teams faced off was in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Italy, in the group stage. FIFA Order of Merit recipient P.K. Banerjee scored India’s solitary goal in a historic 1-1 draw. Unfortunately, the team languished at the bottom of the group which also featured heavyweight Hungary and Peru.
Against Iran – 7 goals in 12 matches
India’s goals against Iran also come in the golden era, before the 1970s. Both Chuni Goswami and Yousuf Khan have two goals apiece against the Asian heavyweights.
During this era, the teams played each other frequently in AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, Olympic Qualifiers and the Asian Games. The Blue Tigers have failed to score against Iran in their last six matches since the 1966 Asian Games.
Against Japan – 19 goals in 18 matches
The two teams first clashed in the 1954 Asian Games where goals from Moinuddin and Jose D’Sa helped India trounce Japan 3-2 in Philippines. Another historic win was in the 1962 Asian Games where P.K. Banerjee and Tulsidas Balaraman got on the scoresheet.
India’s last win against the mighty nation came in the 1970 Asian Games bronze match where Amar Bahadur Gurung’s strike won them the medal in Bangkok, Thailand. India have played Japan 4 times in the 21st century, conceding 20 goals and scoring none.
Against Korea Republic/South Korea – 17 goals in 24 matches
P.K. Banerjee is India’s top scorer against South Korea as well, with 2 goals. Sunil Chhetri is India’s last goalscorer against the frequent World Cup participants. Chhetri scored a penalty against them in a 2011 AFC Asian Cup match in Qatar.
The two teams had a high octane two-way race in the 1962 Asian Games. South Korea defeated India in the opener but Rahim Saab’s team went on to deliver defeats to Japan and Thailand to secure a place in the semi finals where they beat South Vietnam by a 3-2 margin.
It was South Korea, they faced again in the gold medal match. Goals from the indomitable P.K. Banerjee and Jarnail Singh clinched them the famous victory.
Against Hungary – 2 goals in 2 matches
Tulsidas Balaraman scored in a 1-2 defeat against eventual bronze medal winners Hungary in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Italy.
In the 1991 Nehru Cup, C.V. Pappachan scored in a defeat of the same scoreline in Trivandrum.
Against Poland – 1 goal in 1 match
In a packed crowd of 90,000 in the Eden Gardens at Kolkata on a cold January evening of 1984, Biswajit Bhattacharya scored in the 42nd minute for India against Poland in the Nehru Cup.
India would fall short by a goal in the game and Poland would go on to win the Cup – which also featured the likes of Argentina and China.
Against Uruguay – 1 goal in 1 match
The current Indian squad would do well to find inspiration from the 1982 Nehru Cup batch who put up a good fight against the two-time World Champions. Despite losing 3-1, Manas Bhattacharya’s goal in the 35th minute at the Eden Gardens, is a moment many Indian football fans remember.
The Blue Tigers will play Uruguay again after 44 years in the same city on October 6th, 2026.
Also Read: India rise to 137th in FIFA Rankings after 1-1 draw against 44th ranked Panama
Against Cameroon – 5 goals in 4 matches
In the 1993 Nehru Cup, I.M. Vijayan, Sathyan, and Aqeel Ansari all managed to score across two matches. India had a famous victory against Cameroon, then ranked 58th in the 2012 Nehru Cup final in Delhi.
Sunil Chhetri and Gouramangi Singh scored for the Blue Tigers to take the game to penalties, where they trounced Cameroon by 5-4.
Thierry Makon Nloga missed the final penalty and Clifford Miranda converted for India. It was the last time the tournament was organized by AIFF.
Against Panama – 1 goal in 1 match
The latest addition to the prized list are the 2026 World Cuppers Panama, against whom Ryan Williams gave India the lead in Bengaluru on September 25th, 2026. The goal was beautifully set up by Akash Mishra whose long pass over the Panama backline was found by Williams.
An optimist would want this goal to signal a new moment in Indian Football, led after many years by an Indian coach in Khalid Jamil, with a striker who only recently was cleared to represent the nation.
With even tougher games against Brazil and Uruguay lined up, many will be hoping that this list only lengthens further, hearkening back to the glory days of Rahim Saab and P.K. Banerjee.
Who scored for India in their match against Panama?
Ryan Williams gave India the lead against Panama in Bengaluru on 25th September 2026.
When will India play their next match?
India will play their next match against Brazil on 3rd October, 2026 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.
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