Twenty-five times Pakistan and India have faced each other in men’s international football, and the scoreboard tells a lopsided story: India 16 wins, Pakistan 2, 7 draws. But a head-to-head record is more than a tally — it’s the history of South Asian football in miniature. This is every era of the Pakistan vs India football rivalry, explained.
Quick answer: Pakistan vs India have played 25 times. India have won 16, Pakistan have won 2, and 7 matches were drawn. India have dominated the SAFF Championship era, winning the regional title a record nine times; Pakistan are still chasing a first. The last meeting was India’s 4-0 win at SAFF 2023 in Bengaluru.
In this guide
The All-Time Record
The numbers, as they stand in October 2026:
- Matches played: 25
- India wins: 16
- Pakistan wins: 2
- Draws: 7
- Last meeting: SAFF Championship 2023, Bengaluru — India 4-0 Pakistan
India’s win rate of nearly two-thirds reflects a structural gap, not a run of luck. The Blue Tigers have had a stable federation, a professional league and regular continental football for twenty years. Pakistan’s federation was suspended by FIFA twice (2017 and 2021), and the national team went years without a competitive fixture. The head-to-head is honest about that history.
Three Eras of the Rivalry
The early years. The first meetings came when South Asian football was finding its feet, with honours more evenly shared than the modern record suggests. Pakistan’s two victories belong to this older landscape of the fixture — results that have grown in legend precisely because nothing like them has happened since.
The SAFF era. Since the SAFF Championship’s launch in 1993 (as the SAARC Gold Cup), India have turned regional dominance into a habit — nine titles in fourteen editions before 2026. Pakistan–India meetings in this era have mostly been group-stage or knockout games India were expected to win, and usually did.
The modern gap (2015–2026). Pakistan’s suspensions hollowed out the fixture. The 2023 meeting in Bengaluru — India’s 4-0 win, with Sunil Chhetri among the scorers — was Pakistan’s first SAFF appearance after years in the wilderness, and the gulf in match sharpness was visible. The 2026 edition in Dhaka is the first rematch since.
Pakistan’s Two Wins — the Rarest Results
Two wins in twenty-five attempts. In any other rivalry that would be a footnote; here, each is a landmark. They are the games Pakistani fans reach for whenever the fixture comes around — proof, preserved in memory, that India can be beaten. The scarcity is the point: when Pakistan next beat India, it will be the biggest result in the country’s football history by a distance.
The Seven Draws: Resistance as a Result
Don’t overlook the draws. For long stretches, Pakistan’s realistic ambition against India was not victory but denial — staying organised, frustrating the Blue Tigers, and taking a point. Seven draws in 25 games is a respectable return for the underdog, and several came in tournaments where a draw kept Pakistan alive. Coaches on both sides understand this dynamic: India must break down a team built to resist; Pakistan must resist for ninety minutes plus.
Frequently asked questions
How many times have Pakistan beaten India in football?
Twice in 25 meetings. India have won 16 times and 7 matches have been drawn.
What was the biggest win in Pakistan vs India football?
In recent memory, India’s 4-0 victory in the SAFF Championship 2023 group stage in Bengaluru stands as the most one-sided modern meeting.
When will the head-to-head record next change?
At the SAFF Championship 2026 in Dhaka (4–17 November 2026), where both teams are in Group B and meet in the group stage. See our match-day guide for the fixture details.
