Malaysia, 29th July 2023: The Indian football team faced a tough draw during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers and the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. The draw, held at the AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, placed India in a challenging group alongside Qatar, Kuwait, and the winner between Afghanistan and Mongolia.
The draw has set high expectations for the Indian football team, which has shown remarkable performances in recent times. With their recent victories in the Intercontinental Cup and the SAFF Championship, the team is riding a wave of success and aims to carry this momentum into the World Cup qualifiers.
India’s impressive form was evident in their victory over Lebanon in the final of the Intercontinental Cup, where they emerged victorious with a 2-0 scoreline at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The triumph continued in the SAFF Championship, where they defeated Kuwait in the summit clash through a penalty shootout at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
These remarkable performances have catapulted India into the top 100 of the FIFA World Rankings. Additionally, the sports ministry granted permission for both the Indian men’s and women’s teams to participate in the Asian Games 2023, relaxing the previous rule that required a team to be among the top 8 in the continent to qualify for the competition.
The draw for the Asia World Cup qualifiers resulted in the formation of the following groups:
Group A: Qatar, India, Kuwait, and the triumphant team from the Afghanistan-Mongolia match.
Group B: Japan, Syria, North Korea, and the winner of the matchup between Myanmar and Macau make up Group B.
Group C: South Korea, China, Thailand, and the winner between Singapore and Guam constitute Group C.
Group D: Oman, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, and the winner between Taiwan and East Timor form Group D.
Group E: Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and the winner between Hong Kong and Bhutan are the teams in Group E.
Group F: Iraq, Vietnam, Philippines, and the winner between Indonesia and Brunei comprise Group F.
Group G: Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Tajikistan, and the winner between Cambodia and Pakistan are the teams in Group G.
Group H: The teams in Group H are the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, the winner between Yemen and Sri Lanka, and the winner between Nepal and Laos.
Group I: Australia, Palestine, Lebanon, and the winner between Maldives and Bangladesh form Group I.
India faces formidable challenges in their group, with strong teams like Qatar and Kuwait posing tough opposition. However, the team’s recent performances have instilled hope among fans and football enthusiasts, and they eagerly await the commencement of the qualifiers to witness India’s pursuit of World Cup glory.
