‘Real Kashmir Football Club’ Earns International Emmy Nomination For Drama Series

Sony LIV series ‘Real Kashmir Football Club’ has earned an International Emmy nomination in the Drama Series category, bringing the story inspired by Jammu and Kashmir’s first professional football club to a global stage. The nominations for the 2026 International Emmy Awards were announced on Wednesday.

The series will compete against the UK’s ‘A Thousand Blows’, France’s ‘Carême’ and Argentina’s ‘Menem’ in the Drama Series category. The nomination is one of two Indian entries at this year’s International Emmys, with comedian Vir Das receiving a Comedy nomination for his Netflix special ‘Vir Das: Fool Volume’.

Starring Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Manav Kaul, ‘Real Kashmir Football Club’ follows two men who set out to build a professional football team in Kashmir. Their shared ambition develops into a story about football, community, determination and the opportunities the sport creates for people in the Valley.

Ayyub said he hopes the nomination will help the series reach a wider audience. “It is always special to see our labour of love reach people and receive recognition,” he said, describing the project as a story of “resilience, courage and hard work”.

The actor dedicated the recognition to the people of Kashmir, adding that he hoped the nomination would help the story travel further and reach more viewers.

Showrunner and co-director Mahesh Mathai also welcomed the recognition. He said the team was honoured that the “special series” had received global recognition through an Emmy nomination.

The series is inspired by the true story of Real Kashmir FC, which became Jammu and Kashmir’s first professional football club. It was directed by Mathai and Rajesh Mapuskar, with a writing team comprising Mathai, Simaab Hashmi, Dhruv Narang, Danish Renzu and Umang Vyas.

The ensemble cast also includes Abhishant Rana, Muazzam Bhat, Priya Chauhan, Anmol Thakeria Dhillon, Afnan Fazli and Shaheem Bhat. The series was produced by Jaya Entertainment and Oshun Entertainment and premiered on Sony LIV on December 9, 2025.