Will a victory against Kuwait ensure India's qualification for the third round of FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers?
In the penultimate matchday of the second round of FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, the Indian men's senior team will lock horns with Kuwait at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on June 6. As there's an elusive carrot of an unprecedented qualification to the third round of World Cup qualification stages dangling in front of the Blue Tigers, they'll be yearning to roar like never before in front of their home supporters.
Extending the gravity of the fixture is the impending retirement of India's talismanic figure, Sunil Chhetri. After an illustrious 19-year international career, the 39-year-old striker on May 16 announced his decision to hang up his boots for the national side. Fans have been eagerly anticipating a performance befitting the final chapter of the legend's career.
If Chhetri can see them over the line with another of his signature performances, it would culminate into a fairytale ending. However, India's qualifications equations which were quite straightforward at one point have been complicated by underwhelming results on the trot.
Would a victory against Kuwait be enough to secure a berth in the third round of qualifiers? Let's take a look.
Scanning through the permutations and combinations for India to qualify for the third round of FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers
First, let's break down the current standings of Group A, with two rounds of matches still left. Hosts of the previous edition of the World Cup, Qatar, lead the standings with 12 points and have already secured a berth in the next stage.
The Blue Tigers follow next with four points, after a victory against Kuwait in the opener, a 3-0 hammering from the group leaders, and a draw and a defeat with Afghanistan.
The Lions of Khorasan started their campaign with a depleted squad and were ruled out as possible qualification contenders after being romped 8-1 by Qatar. But the four points the Afghans accumulated from the two fixtures against India have put them in third, only behind on goal difference. Kuwait are the bottom-placed side with just three points from their victory against Afghanistan.
Surprisingly, all three teams still have an opportunity to secure the second spot and qualify for the all-important third round.
Now, considering India beat Kuwait on June 6, they will be on seven points, with Kuwait on three points and out of contention immediately. Afghanistan, their only challenger then, currently have a goal difference of -10 and still have a home fixture against Qatar left. The Qataris have been rampant throughout the qualification stages and only a miracle could rectify the goal difference for Afghanistan.
However, India's healthier goal difference might fail to come into play if Afghanistan manages to win both of their remaining fixtures. Kuwait hammered the Anoush Dastgir-coached outfit in the away leg. However, since then, the Afghans have grown in confidence after their performances against India. A victory in that fixture isn't impossible but taking the three points against Qatar might be a stretch.
Mathematically, a win for India over Kuwait wouldn't guarantee an outright qualification to the third rounds, but practically, if Afghanistan succumb to defeat against the Qataris, the Blue Tigers will have one hand on the second spot in Group A.
Then, all they would need for qualification to the next round would be to avoid an absolute collapse in the clash against Qatar on the final matchday.