New Delhi [India], July 27 : The Blue Tigers have been drawn in Group A of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 against Qatar, Kuwait, and winners of the Round 1 match between Afghanistan and Mongolia, after the draw was conducted at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, July 27, 2023.
Beginning from Pot 2 of the Qualifiers, India, who are placed 99th in the FIFA Rankings, will face Qatar (59th), Kuwait (137th), and the winners of the match between Afghanistan (157th), Mongolia (183rd) in a double round-robin format on a home-and-away basis, as per a press release from the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
The teams that finish in the top two positions in the qualification group will enter Round 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, and get direct entry into the AFC Asian Cup 2027.
India has been in hot form in 2023, going on an 11-match unbeaten streak, spanning the Tri-Nation Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, and the SAFF Championship. During the course of this treble-winning run, India has played Kuwait twice in the SAFF Championship, with both matches, in the group stage and the final, ending 1-1. However, the Blue Tigers successfully converted the penalty shootout in the SAFF Final into a ninth sub-continental title in Bengaluru, earlier this month.
Igor Stimac’s men had also been clubbed alongside Qatar in the previous edition of the World Cup Qualifiers, where they produced a couple of inspiring performances against the defending AFC Asian Cup Champions in Doha - earning a 0-0 draw before losing 0-1.
Afghanistan and Mongolia, who are set to face each other in the Round 1 Qualifiers, have also played against India in recent times. The former were clubbed in Group D of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers, which were played in Kolkata last year; India won the match 2-1.
Meanwhile, Mongolia faced India in the Intercontinental Cup in Bhubaneswar earlier this year, with the Blue Tigers emerging 2-0 winners.
Group A: Qatar, India, Kuwait, WP1 (Afghanistan/Mongolia).
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