The Indian men's football team has been drawn in Group A of the AFC second round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, along with Qatar, Kuwait, and the winner of the match between Afghanistan and Mongolia. The draw ceremony took place at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
India had recently defeated Kuwait at SAFF Championship final and also earned a draw against 2019 AFC Asian Cup champions Qatar in the previous World Cup qualifying campaign.
— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 27, 2023
Igor Stimac's side will begin their qualifying campaign later this year and it will run till June 2024. Qatar, who hosted the previous men's World Cup, are the best ranked team (WR 59) in Group A followed by India (WR 99) and Kuwait (137).
The AFC second round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification will involve 36 teams, divided into nine groups of four each. They play in a home and away round robin format. The top two teams will make it to the third round of qualification and qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup while the rest will advance to the third round of the Asian Cup qualification.
Sunil Chhetri will lead the Indian men's team in the qualifiers (Image: AIFF)
Considering the recent result against Kuwait and gulf in rankings between India and Afghanistan/Mongolia, Igor Stimac and Co should be aiming to finish second in the group. It would be a marked step indicating sustained competitiveness at the Asian level, something that is eluded Indian football.
India made it to the Pot 2 of the draw after a string of strong results, winning the Intercontinental Cup and the SAFF Championship. The fight for a spot in Pot 2 was with Lebanon who they played against in both the competitions and defeated them twice.
Out of the 36, 26 teams have received byes to this round, and the rest 10 will be the winner from the first round. The first round matches are yet to take place.
India's mens and womens football team is all set to participate in the Asian Games.
Till now, along with the hosts USA, Mexico and Canada, ten other teams have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026. For the first time, 48 teams will participate in the World Cup.
Australia celebrate qualifying for their sixth straight FIFA World Cup 2026.
The participating teams' line-up for the FIFA World Cup 2026 has started taking shape, as Iran and Argentina have booked their place from the qualification round into the finals of the tournament.
In 2022, the FIFA World Cupprovided an unforgettable experience for over 1 billion viewers who tuned in. LionelMessi-led Argentina to victory, giving the nation moments of joy and a fitting tribute to the late Diego Maradona while solidifying his place among players who have won every major trophy.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino and his team in their bid to improve the quality of the World Cup and promote inclusivity increased the number of teams that will participate in the World Cup from an initial 32 teams to 48 teams.
The teams will be split into 12 groups of 4 teams, with the top 2 of each group and the 8 best third-placed teams progressing to a new Round of 32,
The tournament will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
The tournament will be the first hosted by three nations and the first North American World Cup since 1994 and will be the first World Cup since 2002 to be hosted by more than one nation.
Qualification for the World Cup is done based on the regions of the World. Each regional Confederation is responsible for its qualification tournament, which will consist of at least one round of competition using the following formats
Confederations can use a League format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group twice – once at home and once away.
A single round-robin format in which each team in a group plays all other teams in their group once, with the venues either drawn at random or assigned by the confederation with the agreement of the playing association
A Knockout format in which each team in a round plays one other team over two legs once at home and once away.
With FIFA's permission, a tournament is held in one of the participating nations or neutral territory.
With FIFA's permission, a single-leg knockout format.
Europe has 16 slots, Asia has 8 slots with one extra from playoffs making it 9, Africa has 9 slots with one extra coming from playoffs,South America has 6 with one extra coming from playoffs making a total of 7, North America has 6 slots with 3 already taken due to the host nations.
Teams That Have Qualified
With qualifications still ongoing, the only nations that have qualified are the host nations, namely the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada qualification process for the World Cup will be ongoing till the end of November 2025, and till then, teams will be struggling to qualify.
1. The USA
Despite not predominantly being a football nation, the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) has managed to establish a formidable team with the likes of Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun.
The appointment of Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino as their head coach shows some sign of intent that the country intends to go as far as possible in the World Cup.
Mexico has qualified for every World Cup in the past decade, but playing on home soil will give them the advantage of fan support. While they may be without their veteran goalkeeper Ochoa, who has been crucial in past tournaments, they remain a team not to be underestimated.
Canada had a memorable 2022 World Cup in Qatar, highlighted by their surprising win against Belgium. However, they lost their remaining group games to Morocco and Croatia, leading to their early exit from the tournament.
Known for their attacking football, Canada relies on pace in midfield and attack, with Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies being key to their World Cup ambitions.
Teams from the Qualifier Rounds
4. Japan
Japan has become the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup from the qualification round. On March 20, Thursday, Hajime Moriyasu's side beat Bahrain 2-0 in Group C of the AFC World Cup qualifiers.
Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo scored in the second half to inspire the Samurai Blue to ensure their eighth consecutive World Cup appearance, guaranteeing a top-two finish in the qualifiers standings.
New Zealand has qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the third time with a 3-0 home win over New Caledonia in the OFC Qualifiers Final on Monday, March 24.
Three second-half goals from Michael Boxall, Kosta Barbarouses, and Elijah led New Zealand to a comfortable 3-0 win at Eden Park in Auckland. This win marks the All Whites' return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 when they registered three draws against Slovakia, Italy, and Paraguay in South Africa.
For the first time, the All Whites qualified directly for a World Cup, as Oceania received an automatic spot in next year’s 48-team tournament, rather than having to go through an intercontinental play-off as they did in the past.
6. Iran
(Image Credit | AFP)
Iran have become the second Asian side to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals following a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan on March 25 in the third round of the AFC World Cup Qualifiers Group A.
Mehdi Taremi's brace secured a point for Iran to stay atop the Group A table with 20 points in 8 matches, securing the guaranteed top two finish in the group stage. On the other hand, Uzbekistan is just one victory away from their inaugural World Cup appearance.
Tino pai to our fantastic national football team🙌 Mean as! Iran has secured its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the third team to qualify after Japan and @NZ_Football Ka mau te wehi 🇮🇷 This marks our fourth consecutive appearance after 2014,2018,and2022!#FIFAWorldCuppic.twitter.com/2RjE9j2gpa
— The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran (@iranembassy_nz) March 25, 2025
Despite the qualification format being made easier for Asia due to the expanded 48-team World Cup, Iran has sealed the passage to their fourth World Cup finals in a row, and seventh in their history.
In the AFC Qualifiers, the top two teams qualify directly for the World Cup, while the teams finishing third and fourth in the three Asian groups will enter an additional qualifying round.
7. Argentina
(Image Credit | EPA)
The reigning World Champions have stormed into the FIFA World Cup 2026 following a 4-1 crushing over eternal rivals Brazil in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers on March 26.
La Albiceleste currently top the table with 31 points in 14 matches, 16 points clear of seventh-placed Venezuela, with the required seven points at this point.
8. Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 as the 8th team to qualify till now. They have qualified in virtue of finishing in the top two in Group A of the AFC's third-round of qualifiers.
This is the first time they have qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Not only that, they are the first Central Asia country to qualify for the grandest stage of football.
South Korea qualified for their 11th straight FIFA World Cup after finishing in the top two of the AFC third round qualifiers. Tottenham's Son Heung-min, Wolves' Hwang Hee-chan, Bayern Munich's Kim Min-jae and Paris Saint-Germain's Lee Kang-in all will be ready to star for South Korea in the upcoming World Cup.
Ali Olwan scored a hat-trick against Oman to take Jordan to their maiden FIFA World Cup
While South Korea sealed their spot at the FIFA World Cup with that 2-0 victory over Iraq, their win also ensured that Jordan will be playing at their first-ever FIFA World Cup next year.
Ali Olwan's hat-trick has given them a big 3-0 win over Oman, and after South Korea's win, they will now create history at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
In Group B of the AFC Third round qualifiers, Jordan lost only one match and finished in the top two of the group, below South Korea.
Socceroos confirmed their place at a sixth successive FIFA World Cup after beating Saudi Arabia by 2-1 in Saudi Arabia. Connor Metcalfe (42), Mitch Duke (48) scored for the Aussies to help them win after falling behind by a 19-minute goal from Abdulrahman Al-Aboud.
Australia have now confirmed the top spot in Group C in the AFC Third round qualifiers. Japan are leading Group C, which have already qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Brazil continued their run at the FIFA World Cup after ensuring qualification for the FIFA World Cup 2026. They are the only team to qualify for every FIFA World Cup.
The Selecao defeated Paraguay by 1-0 as Vinicius Jr. handed a special gift to new Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti for his 66th birthday.
VINIIII JR.!!!!
TINHAA QUE SER ELE!! BELO PRESENTÃO DE ANIVERSÁRIO PARA O MISTER 🇧🇷🇧🇷
National Football team coach Manolo Marquez has decided to resign after team's poor performance against Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.
Manolo Marquez, who could not even beat a weak team like Hong Kong, which is 26th behind the Indian team in the FIFA rankings, mailed his resignation to the federation the night after the match. The federation has decided to officially announce the resignation of the national coach around Wednesday afternoon.
Indian men’s football has endured a challenging 18 months, marked by a single victory in 16 matches since the start of 2024. A 1-0 defeat to Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier on Tuesday exacerbated the situation, bringing the team’s struggles into sharp focus.
Fan discontent with head coach Igor Stimac’s successor, Manolo Marquez, have intensified after a string of demoralising losses, including three consecutive goalless games against Bangladesh, Thailand, and Hong Kong, leaving fans questioning the team’s ability. India’s hopes of qualifying for the 2027 Asia Cup are now precarious, and speculation surrounds Marquez’s future.
Marquez has not formally tendered his resignation
Rumours of Marquez’s potential resignation had already started doing the rounds as sources suggest that the Spaniard, who replaced Stimac in July 2024, is contemplating stepping down within a year of his appointment.
However, an All India Football Federation (AIFF) source confirmed Marquez has not formally tendered his resignation. The federation awaits official communication from him regarding his intentions but that too many not be simple.
“He can do so only after mutual agreement, that the AIFF gives him permission to part ways," an AIFF source said.
“We have not got any request in writing from Manolo that he wants to leave from the job. We can apply our mind only after he informs us what he wants," the source added.
India must win their remaining four matches
India must win their remaining four matches to maintain any hope of qualification, currently languishing at the bottom of their group. While home and away fixtures against Singapore are scheduled for the October international break, Marquez’s presence for those games remains uncertain.
Manolo Márquez announces 28-member Indian football team travelling squad for Thailand friendly
Manolo Márquez announces 28-member Indian football team travelling squad for Thailand friendly. Get the full list and updates of this key preparatory match for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.
Head coach Manolo Márquez announces 28-member Blue Tigers travelling squad for Thailand friendly on May 28, 2025. All the 28 players, who are currently a part of the ongoing camp in Kolkata, will travel to Thailand for the FIFA friendly for the June 4 fixture.
With a crucial AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Final Round on the horizon, the Indian Men's National Football Team is gearing up for a significant test. The squad will leave for Thailand on Wednesday evening for their friendly on June 4, at the Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani at 18:00 IST.
Subsequently, the team will depart for Hong Kong on the next day (June 5) for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Final Round fixture.
Kolkata: The Blue Tigers' pre-Thailand training hub
Sunil Chhetri along with the other squad members in Day 2 of training camp in Kolkata. Image | Facebook
The Blue Tigers' intensive training camp kicked off in Kolkata on May 19. The men in Blue underwent six full days of structured training and gym sessions. These were focused on refining patterns, defensive organisation, attacking transitions, and all other crucial elements for the gameplay.
A highlight of the camp was the inclusion of two practice matches:
On May 26, the Blue Tigers faced Santosh Trophy Champions Bengal, securing a 2-1 victory. (goal scorers: Brandon Fernandes and Ashique Kuruniyan)
On May 27, they faced North 24 Parganas, securing a 3-0 victory. (goal scorers: Sunil Chhetri, Chinglensana Singh Konsham and Udanta Singh Kumam)
Blue Tigers’ 28-member squad for the FIFA Friendly against Thailand
Indian Football: Rahul KP creates history, signs for West Ham United
Rahul KP, the Indian winger, will play for English Premier League club West Ham United in The Soccer Tournament (TST), an elite 7 v 7 football competition featuring 48 teams from across the globe.
In a groundbreaking moment for Indian football, Rahul KP, the dynamic winger of Odisha FC, has been extended a prestigious invitation to represent English Premier League powerhouse West Ham United in the highly anticipated summer edition of The Soccer Tournament (TST), an elite 7 v 7 football competition featuring 48 teams from across the globe.
This is the first time in Indian football history that an Indian player will represent a top-division English Premier League club men’s team. This is a monumental achievement not only for Rahul's burgeoning career and Odisha FC but also for the continued growth and recognition of the state of Odisha and Indian football on the international stage.
The tournament is scheduled to take place from June 4 to June 9, 2025, in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. The tournament boasts a diverse international roster, with participating teams and players hailing from countries including the United Kingdom, Spain, Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, and India. The star-studded event will notably feature teams led by legendary footballers such as Luis Nani, Sergio Agüero, and Hope Solo.
Rahul KP will join a distinguished West Ham United squad that includes notable personalities like actor Hero Fiennes Tiffin, former Argentina international Mauro Zárate, and several professional athletes who have represented the United States in the World Indoor Football Cup.
The three group stage games featuring West Ham United will be broadcast live on YouTube channels. Additionally, these matches will be televised live on ESPN.
AIFF Awards 2025: Subhasish Bose and Soumya Guguloth Shine as Top Players
Subhasish Bose and Soumya Guguloth won the Best Men's and Women's Player of the Year Awards, respectively, in the recently concluded AIFF Awards 2025. Here are all the winners this season.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) celebrated the best of Indian football at the AIFF Awards 2025, held today in Bhubaneswar, honouring outstanding players, coaches, referees, and member associations for their contributions during the 2024-25 season.
Subhasish Bose recieving the Best Men's Footballer of the Year Award. Image | AIFFSoumya Guguloth won the Women's Footballer of the Year Award. Image | AIFF
The ceremony highlighted the growing competitiveness of Indian football, with Mohun Bagan SG’s Subhasish Bose and East Bengal FC’s Soumya Guguloth crowned Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year, respectively.
AIFF Awards 2025 Winners
Individual Awards
Men's Player of the Year: Subhasish Bose (Mohun Bagan SG, Defender)
Recognised for his leadership as captain and stellar performances for Mohun Bagan SG as the mariners became the first team to defend the ISL Shield, along with reclaiming the ISL Cup. Bose kept 13 clean sheets as a defender and scored 6 goals as well.
Women's Player of the Year: Soumya Guguloth (East Bengal FC, Forward)
Honoured as the top Indian scorer in the Indian Women’s League (IWL) and a key player for the Blue Tigresses. She helped East Bengal FC win the IWL 2024-25 title.
Men's Goalkeeper of the Year: Vishal Kaith (Mohun Bagan SG)
Awarded for holding the record for the most clean sheets in Indian Super League (ISL) history. Kaith had a record 15 clean sheets in ISL 2024-25 and conceded only 19 goals across 26 appearances
Most Promising Men's Player of the Year: Brison Fernandes (Midfielder)
Noted for his midfield mastery and potential as a rising star.
Most Promising Women's Player of the Year: Neha (Haryana, Winger)
Recognised for her performances, including 2 goals in the SAFF U19 Women’s Championship and 3 goals in the Senior Women’s National Championship.
Men's Coach of the Year: Khalid Jamil (Jamshedpur FC)
Won for the second consecutive year for leading Jamshedpur FC to the Kalinga Super Cup semifinals.
Women's Coach of the Year: Sujata Kar (Sreebhumi FC)
Awarded for guiding newly-promoted Sreebhumi FC to a third-place finish in the IWL.
Male Referee of the Year: Venkatesh R
Acknowledged for consistent officiating on the pitch.
Female Referee of the Year: Tekcham Ranjita Devi
Recognised for her officiating excellence.
Male Referee of the Year: Venkatesh R
Male Assistant Referee of the Year: Vairamuthu P
Member Association (MA) Awards
Most Successful MA (Club Competitions): Indian Football Association (West Bengal)
For dominance in men’s competitions, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal winning major titles.
Most Successful MA (NFC Competitions): All Manipur Football Association
Recognised for success in the National Football Championships.
Best MA for Supporting Women’s Football: Punjab Football Association
Honoured for contributions to women’s football development.
Best MA for Hosting Most AIFF Competitions: Football Association of Odisha and Goa Football Association
For hosting numerous AIFF events.
MA with Most Player Registrations (Men’s): Kerala Football Association
For the highest number of male player registrations.
MA with Most Player Registrations (Women’s): Western India Football Association (Maharashtra)
For leading in female player registrations.
Special Award for MA Launching New Projects: Gujarat State Football Association
For innovative football initiatives.
MA with Most Grassroots Activities: Gujarat State Football Association
For extensive grassroots programs.
MA with Most Youth Tournaments Conducted: Karnataka State Football Association
For organising numerous youth tournaments.
MA with Most Coaching Courses: Punjab Football Association
For conducting the most coaching courses.
MA with Most Refereeing Courses: Gujarat State Football Association
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