Though they avoided the traditional powerhouses like Japan, South Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia, India’s men’s football team will have to find a way past either Qatar or Kuwait to keep alive their dreams of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Indian football fans had been on the edge of their seats after a series of excellent recent results culminated in permission being granted to participate in the upcoming Asian Games. The country celebrated as the sports ministry gave the green light to their football dreams, but on Thursday morning, the buzz was all about the FIFA World Cup 2026/AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiying draw, and the ceremony that saw the Asian Games groups unveiled.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers
The FIFA World Cup 2026, set to take place in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, will feature 48 teams for the first time in the competition’s history. This expansion allows eight Asian teams to get a direct spot through the qualifiers. One more can qualify through the inter-continental playoffs. In the AFC zone, 36 member associations will vie for a spot in the competition. The top 18 teams from these qualifiers will secure an automatic berth in the AFC Asian Cup 2027, and move to the next round of qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup.
The Group Draw
India find themselves in a challenging qualifying group for FIFA 2026. Qatar may have had a disastrous World Cup on home soil last year, but they are the Asian Cup holders, and an experienced core of players will be eager to make amends after the disappointment of 2022. Kuwait, the other strong side in the group, played their first and only World Cup way back in 1982. India and the two Arab teams will be joined by either Afghanistan or Mongolia, who will contest the first-round playoff. India has had recent encounters with three of these teams, defeating Kuwait in the SAFF Championship, Mongolia in the Intercontinental Cup, and Afghanistan in the Asian Cup qualifiers in Kolkata. While Qatar will be formidable opposition, India can take heart from a determined performance in a 0-0 draw, back in 2019 in the FIFA 2022 World Cup Qualifiers. They also have momentum after winning back-to-back three trophies in a span of two months. If The Blue Tigers manage to handle the Qatar test, they can be quietly confident of making it to the next round.
This is how the groups stand for the #FIFAWorldCup2026 AFC Qualifiers!
India in Group A with Qatar, Kuwait and the Winner of Afghanistan vs Mongolia! #IndianFootball @IndianFootball
[📷 AFC ] pic.twitter.com/4YIr1zlNuf
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) July 27, 2023
Asian Games Groups
The upcoming Asian Games have also been a topic of discussion, with India’s men’s and women’s teams placed in favourable groups. The men’s team has been drawn into Group A alongside China, the hosts, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Based on their recent performances and the rankings of the other teams in the group, this seems to be a manageable challenge for India.
On the other hand, the women’s team is grouped in Group B with Chinese Taipei and Thailand, presenting an opportunity for them to advance to the next round at Hangzhou.
🚨19th #AsianGames Draws are out:#BlueTigers to compete with China, Bangladesh & Myanmar in Group A while our #BlueTigresses will go head to head against Thailand & Chinese Taipei in Group B. pic.twitter.com/CmvbyKYcg4
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) July 27, 2023
King’s Cup and Preparatory Camp
Before embarking on their Asian Games journey, the men’s team will participate in the prestigious Kings Cup in Thailand. The competition, scheduled from September 7-10, will see India face hosts Thailand, Iraq, and Lebanon. India had emerged victorious against Lebanon in the recently concluded Intercontinental Cup and SAFF Championship.
In an exclusive interview, Igor Stimac, India’s coach, spoke of his intent to treat the King’s Cup as a preparatory camp, utilising the experience gained to tackle the upcoming challenges at the Asian Games.