FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: Indian football team's run so far and what's to come

The Indian football team’s 15-match unbeaten run on home soil came to an end in their last game. Facing Asian giants Qatar in Bhubaneswar in a Group A fixture of the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers, India went 0-3 down . India are currently placed third in the Group A standings. The Blue Tigers have won one out of the two matches in the second round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The win, by a 1-0 margin , had come against Kuwait. Teams finishing in the top-two spots in their respective groups will qualify for the next round. India’s chances of reaching the next round did suffer a jolt after the loss to Qatar but Igor Stimac’s men are certainly not out of contention. The top two teams from the group will advance to the third qualifying round of the next FIFA World Cup and will also get a chance to secure a direct entry in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. In their next two FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures, India will face Afghanistan. The first India-Afghanistan game will be played on 21 March. The second meeting between the two Asian outfits will occur on 26 March. India got their FIFA World Cup qualifiers second round campaign off to a flying start with a resounding 1-0 away win against Kuwait. Two wins against Afghanistan will certainly give India a big boost and the Blue Tigers can expect to reach the second spot in their group. However, merely winning against Afghanistan will not be enough for India as they have two other mighty opponents - Qatar and Kuwait - present in their group. Considering the recent track record, it seems that India will enter the tie against Afghanistan as clear favourites. The last time these two sides had faced off against each other was in 2022 and India had won the contest 2-1. India are currently preparing for the AFC Asian Cup , scheduled to take place next year in Qatar. India have been placed in Group B of the competition alongside heavyweights like Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria.