 "India will make their first appearance in the Women's Asian Cup since 2003. AIFF")
India will face a tough challenge at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 after being drawn in Group C alongside Japan, Vietnam, and Chinese Taipei. The Final Draw for the tournament took place at Sydney Town Hall on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
The Indian team was represented by coach Crispin Chettri and midfielder Sangita Basfore in the draw ceremony. This is the first time India will take part in the tournament in 22 years.
India face tough challenge in Group C
The Blue Tigresses will kick off their campaign on March 4, 2026, against Vietnam at the Perth Rectangular Stadium. Their second group match will be against powerhouse Japan on March 7 at the same venue. India’s final group stage match is scheduled for March 10 against Chinese Taipei at the Western Sydney Stadium in Sydney.
India are currently ranked 70th in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings. Their group opponents are all higher-ranked - Japan (7th), Vietnam (37th), and Chinese Taipei (42nd).
Also Read: Why India’s qualification for 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup is historic
What is the format?
The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will move on to the quarter-finals of the tournament. The winners of the quarter-finals will automatically qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil.
The teams that lose in the quarter-finals will still have a chance as they will play in play-offs to fight for the last two World Cup spots given to AFC. The two teams that lose in these play-offs will get one more chance through the inter-confederation play-offs.
The quarter-final matches will be held between March 13 and 15, while the semi-finals are set for March 17 and 18, in Sydney and Perth. The final will take place on March 21 at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
The World Cup play-off matches for the quarter-final losers will be played in the Gold Coast on March 19.
Check out the full schedule
Final Draw
Group A: Australia, Korea Republic, IR Iran, Philippines
Group B: DPR Korea, China PR, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan
Group C: Japan, Vietnam, India, Chinese Taipei
India’s fixtures
March 4, 2026: Vietnam vs India (Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth)
March 7, 2026: India vs Japan (Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth)
March 10, 2026: India vs Chinese Taipei (Western Sydney Stadium, Sydney)