2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Rival Watch: Kuwait

India defeated Kuwait in their previous encounter in SAFF Championship 2023.

The Indian football team are ready to begin their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in the November international break. Igor Stimac's side has been placed in a challenging group and need to finish in the top-two to move into the third round of qualifying.

Up first is an intimidating bout against Kuwait. The Blue Wave are ranked well below India in the latest FIFA World Rankings, but have decent experience and quality in their squad. They won’t be any pushovers in the upcoming qualifier and are expected to pose a major threat for the Blue Tigers.

About the Team

Kuwait have been involved in the international football scene since the 1960s and have a pretty respectable history as well. They actually qualified for the FIFA World Cup only once, way back in the 1982 edition when they finished in the 21st position with only one draw in three games.

They won the AFC Asian Cup back in 1980 and were actually pretty dominant in Asia during the 1970s and 1980s. Apart from that, they have won the Arabian Gulf Cup a whopping 10 times and the SAFF Championship once in 2010 – marking the last major trophy they lifted.

Recent Performances

Kuwait are heading into the 2026 World Cup qualifiers having played 15 games in 2023 in preparation for the major games. That involves two matches in India which happened in the 2023 SAFF Championship held in Bengaluru earlier this summer.

India won one of the two matches, ousting them on penalties in the final. The Blue Wave have won nine of their 15 competitive matches in 2023 so far, which also involves winning just one of their last three games. They picked up a 2-1 win over Syria in their last competitive game before the upcoming qualifier against India at Kuwait City.

The Coach

Portuguese coach Rui Bento took over the Kuwait national team in August 2023 after spending the last six years working in the managerial role for various Portugal youth teams. Indeed, he coached the the Portugal U-17, U-18 and U-19 sides in the past years before taking up the role with the Blue Wave.

During his time as the Portugal U-19 manager, he even helped the development of highly-rated Benfica stars Joao Neves and Antonio Silva. He has managed 15 official competitive matches for Kuwait, helping them win nine of those games and draw twice.

Bento has improved Kuwait’s goal-scoring prowess during his tenure, as they have only failed to score in two of those matches. He normally plays in a 4-3-3 attacking style, using the speedy wingers and encouraging a fast-paced, quick passing style to trouble the opposition sides. However, he will have to help improve Kuwait’s defensive structure to help his side get more clean-sheets and be tougher to break down to compete strongly in the World Cup qualifiers.

Players to Watch

Shabaib Al-Khaldi

Hatta Club striker Shabaib Al-Khaldi has been a revelation under the system of Bento and been a menace for the Kuwait side over the last 12 months or so. He has scored 11 goals for his national team in only 27 appearances and impressed in the SAFF Championship too.

Al-Khaldi scored an impressive goal for his side in the final against India and tormented the defenders with his unpredictable movement. The 25-year-old is flying high on momentum under Bento and will be someone that the Indian defenders need to mark tightly to restrict the Blue Wave at their own yard.

Mubarak Al-Faneeni

Kuwait winger Mubarak Al-Faneeni is another winger who has adapted well to the system under Bento and been a bright spark in his attacking system. The 23-year-old can play in either wing, being blessed with admirable pace and dribbling ability.

He can also sneak his way into promising areas in the final third, and is quite clinical in the attacking areas too. Al-Faneeni has scored five goals and provided as many assists for the Blue Wave in 24 appearances. He can swing in some inviting crosses and is a menacing threat in the final third, making him one to watch out for.

Abdullah Al-Buloushi

Kuwait will need to be defensively proactive to excel in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers and defend strongly through the wings. Fortunately for them, right-back Abdullah Al-Buloushi has been impressive under Bento and was a bright spot for them in the SAFF Championship. He got two goal contributions in the competition, including an assist in the final.

He will look to torment India again in the upcoming clash by being a fiery figure through the wide areas. Al-Buloushi is stacked with high energy levels and will look to dart up and down to create chances with his impressive crosses. He is also quite sturdy defensively and it’ll take opposition teams a lot to outwit him and dominate that wing.

What to Expect

Kuwait proved to be a frustrating team to get past in the SAFF Championship for India. This time around, they might be an even bigger challenge because they have a nice idea of the Blue Tigers’ strengths and weaknesses. The Blue Wave are not one to be taken for granted, because they have some unpredictable young players who can run riot.

The upcoming qualifier should be a tight, end-to-end battle where Kuwait won’t be scared of taking the fight to India. Igor Stimac’s side needs to be at their sharpest defensively and clinical going forward, to oust them and get back to India with a positive result.