Indian football team's path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup explained
The Indian men’s national team are gearing up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and the hopes and aspirations are at an all-time high. The Blue Tigers have consistently displayed improvement over the past year, which has increased optimism among the supporters.
Furthermore, the contract extension of head coach Igor Stimac will bring added stability to the national team, which is crucial given the important fixtures on the horizon in the coming year.
The journey to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is long and arduous, and India are certainly not considered favorites to secure a spot in the tournament that's set to take place in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. However, Stimac and his team will adopt a step-by-step approach, starting with the preliminary round two qualification process this month.
In contrast to the previous edition, which featured 32 teams, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will have 48 teams. Consequently, the number of Asian teams securing berths in the FIFA World Cup will increase to eight, compared to the five teams that qualified last time (plus the host nation, Qatar). Additionally, there will be one inter-confederation playoff spot available.
There are a total of 46 teams entering from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), with teams ranked from 27 to 46 playing a two-legged home and away game to earn their place in the second round. Ten teams qualified for the second round, which included India’s neighbors Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
India, being among the top 20 teams in the AFC rankings, secured direct qualification to the second round.
Second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
For the draw of the second round, India, who were ranked 99th at the time of the draw, were placed in Pot 2. That was crucial since it meant the Blue Tigers would face only one team with a higher ranking.
In this round, 26 teams and the 10 teams that qualified from round one were divided into nine groups, each consisting of four teams. The top two teams from each group would progress to the third round of qualifiers and book their place in the AFC Asian Cup in 2027.
The draw took place in Kuala Lumpur in July, and India were placed in Group A, alongside some familiar foes - Qatar, Kuwait, and Afghanistan.
Kuwait, who are ranked 146th in the world, will be India’s first opponent in the second round, where the Blue Tigers will play at Kuwait City on November 16. Notably, these two teams recently clashed twice in the SAFF Championship. Both games ended in a 1-1 draw, and India eventually won in a penalty shootout during the finals.
Following that, the Blue Tigers will face Qatar at the Kalinga Stadium in Odisha on November 21. These two teams also clashed during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with India securing a memorable point away from home and narrowly losing at home.
The second round of qualifiers will conclude in June 2024, after all teams have played their home and away matches. India, with a history of not reaching the third round, stand as the favorites to secure the second spot in their group this time around.
Third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
As mentioned above, the top two teams from each group in the second round will qualify for the third round, resulting in 18 teams being organized into three groups, each comprising six teams.
These teams will once again engage in home and away fixtures, adding up to a total of 10 games each. The top two teams from each group will earn direct qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Meanwhile, the third and fourth-placed teams in the group will receive a second opportunity to qualify; they will participate in the fourth round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The third round is set to begin in September 2024 and will end in June 2025.
Fourth and fifth round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
In the fourth round, six teams will participate, organized into two groups, each consisting of three teams. In contrast to the home and away format, these teams will face each other once at a neutral venue, and the group winners will secure direct entry to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Meanwhile, the runners-up will have another opportunity to move on to the fifth round of the qualifiers. The two runners-up will play a two-legged home and away contest, with the winner earning a place in the inter-confederation playoffs.
The playoff will involve six teams from different confederations (excluding UEFA). The draw will be based on rankings, with the top two teams being drawn according to their FIFA Rankings.
These two teams will vie for a FIFA World Cup berth against the winners of the first two knockout games, which will involve the other four teams. The final two teams to advance to the World Cup will be determined by this process.
Indian men’s national team squad for the games against Kuwait and Qatar
Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Vishal Kaith.
Defenders: Akash Mishra, Lalchungnunga, Mehtab Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke, Roshan Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose.
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Glan Martins, Apuia Ralte, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Nandhakumar Sekar, Rohit Kumar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Udanta Singh.
Forwards: Ishan Pandita, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Rahul KP, Sunil Chhetri, Vikram Partap Singh.