“Left a few questions unanswered:” Kalyan Chaubey questions FIFA after controversial goal in Qatar vs India match
After India were robbed a position in the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers via a controversial goal, AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey penned a few strong words to FIFA.
In the Qatar vs India FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers India suffered a heartbreaking 1-2 defeat at the hands of Qatar in Qatar on Tuesday. Though, India were leading in the first half afterLalianzuala Chhangte's goal in the 37th minute of the game, India digested two goals in the second half; one of them which should have been cancelled.
In the 73rd India, Indian captain and goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu could not grab the ball clearly and the ball went out. However, the referee did not whistle after the ball being out and Qatar players played the ball inside and Aymen equalised for the home team.
In the replays it was clear that the ball was out of play and should have whistled for a corner. Despite protests from the Indian team, the referee signaled for the goal and soon Qatar scored another goal to kick India out of the tournament.
After the incident whole of India shared there frustration on internet and stated that India were "robbed" a chance in the historical third round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
Here is what AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey said after the incident.
"The defeat against Qatar in the FIFA 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 concluding match on Tuesday night was a huge disappointment for the entire Indian football fraternity. While victory and defeat are a part and parcel of the game, and we have learned to accept it gracefully, one of the two goals scored against India yesterday night left a few questions unanswered.
We, at the All India Football Federation, always believed that the spirit of the game should be upheld, and the regulations be followed without raising doubts over it. While maintaining the same stand, we, after the game against Qatar, in consultation with our Chief Refereeing Officer, decided to write to the FIFA Head of Qualifiers, the AFC Head of Referees, the AFC Head of Competitions, and the Match Commissioner for the game, requesting them to look into the grave supervision error caused during the game that practically cost us a place in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Round 3.
Given it’s severity, we have respectfully requested all concerned officials to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. Furthermore, we have urged them to explore the possibilities of sporting compensation to address the injustice. Ensuring the integrity of the game is paramount, we truly trust that the FIFA and the AFC will take necessary steps in this regard."
New Messi? Franco Mastantuono wears Argentina's No.10 jersey in FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Franco Mastantuono, the 18-year-old midfielder, who played just his second match for the Argentina senior team, surprised everyone by wearing Lionel Messi's iconic No.10 jersey in the game against Ecuador.
In the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers game against Ecuador, Argentina, and Real Madrid's new star, Franco Mastantuono, did something that no one imagined. In Argentina's 0-1 defeat against Ecuador, the 18-year-old midfielder came out wearing the No.10 jersey, a number that fans associate only with Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi for their great careers with the La Albiceleste.
Nicloas Otamendi's 31-minute last-man foul had already turned the defending champions into a 10-man team. A few minutes later, at the stroke of half-time, Enner Valencia converted the penalty for the home side to give Ecuador a 1-0 lead.
Post half-time, Ecuador was also reduced to 10 men after Moisés Caicedo, the Chelsea star, was shown the second yellow card of the match. That allowed Lionel Scaloni to look for goals and somehow equalise.
At the one-hour mark, the Argentine boss brought Franco Mastantuono from the bench to replace Leandro Paredes.
What happened after that stunned the crowd and everyone watching the match as Mastantuono came out wearing the Jersey No.10 in the absence of Lionel Messi.
Messi, who started with the No.19 jersey for the Argentine senior team, did an outstanding job of justice to the famous No.10 jersey of Diego Armando, who everyone hails as one of the greatest to ever play the game.
Which No. Mastantuono wear for Real Madrid?
With Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham and other stars being there, Mastantuono had to choose a number like 30 for the Real Madrid team. He was brought to Real Madrid from River Plate with a huge transfer fee of €45.00m, which is one of the highest for a teenager ever.
Mastantuono, to date, has only played two games for Argentina and has yet to score or assist for the senior team. With Real Madrid, he has appeared only three times so far and has yet to register any goal contributions.
Till now, along with the hosts USA, Mexico and Canada, fifteen other teams have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Tunisia, Colombia, and Morocco were the latest teams to qualify for the event.
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 🇧🇷🇧🇷
Paraguay became the 14th team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after their 0-0 draw against Ecuador on 4 September. This will be their first FIFA World Cup qualification since 2010.
PARAGUAY 🇵🇾 ARE GOING TO THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 🏆
They will be playing the FIFA World Cup first time since 2010!
With their 3-0 win over Peru on September 4, Uruguay reached a fifth successive World Cup. Rodrigo Aguirre, Giorgian De Arrascaeta, and Federico Vinas scored the goals for the South American nation.
16. Colombia
With their 3-0 victory over Bolivia on September 4, Colombia qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after missing out on the previous edition. James Rodriguez became the first Colombian player to score 30 international goals after Falcao (36).
Morocco became the first African nation to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after their thumping 5-0 victory over Niger.
With 21 points from seven games, they have earned a place in the showpiece.
18. Tunisia
The Carthage Eagles qualified for their seventh FIFA World Cup as they sealed a narrow 1-0 win over Equatorial Guinea. A stoppage-time winner from Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane helped the North African nation to top Group H of the African Qualifiers with 22 points after 8 matches.
The Durand Cup was first held in Shimla which was a popular retreat for the British back in the day. Sir Henry Durand was recovering from an illness in the hill station and realised the importance of physical health for soldiers in the Army.
There were several army regiments and military units that were originally involved in the tournament and it became an inter-regiment tournament essentially.
They were initially only inclined towards playing Hockey given the popularity of the sport in India at that time but football gradually picked up.
The event itself was a major deal and people came from all across the country to watch the final which was a highly publicised event. It was also a great platform for Indian football clubs to defeat the British regiments which of course, rarely happened at that time.
However, events post World War II that also involved the cancellation and relocation of the tournament ushered a new era for Indian football.
The Durand Cup was later shifted to Delhi post 1940 and opened for civilian clubs and teams. This brought in the likes of Mohammedan, Salgaocar, East Bengal and all the other legendary I-League teams that have since dominated the proceedings.
Sunil Chhetri, the captain of the Indian football team with one of the Durand Cups as Bengaluru FC lifted the trophy in 2022 (Image- BFC Twitter)
It is now held under the Durand Football Tournament Society and has been the continuously held every year to attract top Indian teams and players from leagues such as the ISL, I-league and even Armed forces football teams.
The inclusion of ISL and Armed forces teams has helped expand the reach of the tournament.
Take a look at some of the winners and runner-ups of Durand Cup, one of the most popular football tournaments in India. Durand Cup has been a success for many years with all the details about the show since 2000.
Kolkata giants East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are the most successful teams in the history of the tournament winning it a record 17 and 16 times respectively.
Royal Scouts Fusiliers were the first-ever winners and Mohammedan Sporting were the first Indian to win the competition. Bengaluru Fc are the reigning champions.
Team
Titles
Mohun Bagan
17
East Bengal
16
BSF
7
JCT
5
For more Durand Cup news and articles, follow Sportz Point.
East Bengal is one of Asia's biggest and most supported football clubs. In October 2020, the club was voted as the most popular football club in India on an AFC poll by its supporters.
The East Bengal Club was established on 1st August 1920 by Suresh Chandra Chaudhury along with some other dignitaries, and the club's first captain was Ramesh Chandra Sen.
The Kolkata-based club has created a lot of records and won so many trophies. The Football club was going through a tough phase as they hadn't won a major trophy since the 2013-14 season.
But, under the new Manager and coaching staff, the Red & Gold Brigade are playing good football. So, let's look at the trophies East Bengal has won in its footballing history.
East Bengal FC Trophies List
East Bengal played their first match in the 1920 Hercules Cup, which was a 7-a-side tournament that they won. They won their first-ever full tournament in 1921 and lifted the Khogendra Shield.
The Red and Gold brigade qualified for the Calcutta Football League 1st division in 1925. They won their first 1st title in 1942. Then the Kolkata-based club lifted their first IFA Shield in 1943. In 1945, East Bengal won their first double, claiming both the Calcutta Football League and the IFA Shield.
From 1949-51, East Bengal became the first team to make a hat-trick of wins in the IFA Shield. In 1972, East Bengal won the Calcutta Football League, IFA Shield, Durand Cup, and Rovers Cup in a single season, becoming the first team to do so.
In 1972, East Bengal also made a record of being the first and till date, only Indian team to win the Calcutta Football League without conceding a single goal, which they again repeated in 1991.
East Bengal won its first First Division league title in 1942 and has since won it a record 39 times. They have also won eightFederation Cups, three Super Cups, a record 29 IFA Shields, the Kuladakanta Shield, and MLA CUP, alongside 16 Durand Cup titles, making the club one of the most decorated in Indian football.
Khalid Jamil stats as manager: Jamil becomes new Blue Tigers coach
As AIFF announced Khalid Jamil as the new head coach of the Indian Men's Senior Football Team, here are his stats as a football manager so far. Jamil so far has coached teams like Aizwal FC, East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, NEUFC and Jamshedpur FC.
Khalid Jamil has been named as the new head coach of the Indian Men's Senior Football team, as AIFF chose him over Stephen Constantine and Stefan Tarkovic from the final list. With Jamil becoming the new boss of the Blue Tigers, we present you with the stats and history of his career as a football manager so far.
Jamil managing an I-League game for Aizawl FC in 2016/17 season. Image | I-league
Since retiring as a professional footballer, Jamil started his managerial career with Mumbai FC in 2009. Jamil went on to coach them for 7 years until he joined Aizawl FC in December 2016. It was with Aizawl FC where his career took a turn after leading them to a miraculous I-League title in the 2016/17 season.
After the I-League success, Khalid coached two Kolkata giants, first East Bengal in the 2017-18 season and then ATK Mohun Bagan (which is now Mohun Bagan Super Giant) in the next season.
However, Khalid did not get that much success with those two Kolkata clubs, and he joined Northeast United FC as the academy head in 2019. From 2019-22, Jamil served as Assistant manager, caretaker manager and then head coach of NEUFC. After that, he spent one season with Bengaluru United.
Finally, in 2023, he arrived at Jamshedpur FC, where he showed his class as the head coach and uplifted a few young Indian talents as well.Last season under him, Jamshedpur FC reached the semi-finals of the Indian Super League as well, and Khalid became the first Indian coach to achieve that feat.
His experince and understanding of Indian football is supposed to be a ground-breaking factor for the upcoming few months of Indian football.
Club & Role
Appointed
In Charge Until
Matches
PPM
India (Manager)
25/26 (Aug 1, 2025)
-
-
0.00
Jamshedpur FC (Manager)
23/24 (Dec 31, 2023)
Expected May 31, 2026
50
1.72
FC Chitwan (Manager)
23/24 (Sep 29, 2023)
23/24 (Oct 29, 2023)
-
0.00
FC Bengaluru United (Manager)
21/22 (Jun 1, 2022)
22/23 (Jun 30, 2023)
-
0.00
NorthEast United FC (Manager)
21/22 (Oct 23, 2021)
21/22 (May 31, 2022)
20
0.70
NorthEast United FC (Caretaker Manager)
20/21 (Jan 12, 2021)
20/21 (May 31, 2021)
11
2.00
NorthEast United FC (Caretaker Manager)
19/20 (Feb 11, 2020)
19/20 (May 31, 2020)
2
0.00
NorthEast United FC (Assistant Manager)
18/19 (Jun 19, 2019)
20/21 (Nov 25, 2020)
-
0.00
— Assisted: Robert Jarni (16 games), Gerard Nus (1 game)
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