Can India Qualify For FIFA 2026?

After a long wait of 73 years, the Indian national football team is finally on its way to make its mark in FIFA, 2026. While India did qualify for the 1950 Brazil edition of the World Cup, but later opted to withdraw from participating in the biggest football event on earth.   

The 2026 World cup has expanded to 48 instead of 32 teams, which has boosted India’s chance as the change in the format increases slots for Asian teams from 4.5 to 8.

As India is ranked among the top 20 Asian teams in the FIFA rankings, they do not need to be a part of the first round of Asian qualification for World Cup 2026. However, the team needs to participate from the start of Preliminary Round 2, where 36 teams will be divided into nine groups of four sides each. 

Preliminary Round 2 is slated to begin in November 2023 and will continue till June 2024, and here India needs to make a major push if they’re to finish among the top two spots in their group.

India can boost their chances of finishing in the top two is if they can push to be in pot 2 of their FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers Preliminary Round 2.

Following their recent victory over Kuwait with a 5-4 penalty shootout in South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship, the team will try their skills out in the upcoming Kings’ cup scheduled to be held from September 7 to 10 in Thailand. In the tournament, India will compete against the host nation, Thailand along with Iraq and Lebanon.

Later in the year, the Indian football team will take part in Merdeka Cup, which is scheduled be held in Malaysia from October 14 to 17. The men-in-blue will compete with Palestine, Lebanon and host nation Malaysia in the cup.

In the recent FIFA world rankings, the team climbed up to 100 from 101. After December, 2018, this is the first time when the team made it to the top 100 rankings.

Moreover, there are chances that star player Sunil Chhetri might take retirement on or before 2026, in that light; will the emerging young players be able to replace his legacy in FIFA 2026?

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