FIFA/AFC preliminary joint qualification round 1 & 2 draw scheduled for December
The FIFA/AFC joint qualifiers will begin in 2027.
The year 2026 witnessed the biggest festival of football as the FIFA World Cup was hosted across the United States of America, Canada and Mexico. Spain’s national football team lifted the trophy this time, ending a long wait after defeating the defending champions, Argentina 1-0 courtesy of an extra time goal by Ferran Torres.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 saw nine AFC nations take part in the competition. However, now the road to FIFA World Cup 2030 begins! The draw for the FIFA/AFC preliminary joint qualification round 1 and round 2 will take place on December 15th, 2026, with the qualifiers set to begin in the month of March 2027.
This draw will determine the path for the participating AFC nations as they begin their qualification campaigns for the FIFA World Cup 2030 and AFC Asian Cup 2031.
Indian football team will keep a close eye on the draw as the Blue Tigers will look to secure their place in the next edition of AFC Asian Cup, especially after missing out on this edition’s tournament.
Why the draw matters for the Blue Tigers
Catch Every Update, Anytime, Anywhere
For India, this draw will be very important in particular. As of now, the Blue Tigers find themselves in a tricky position due to their current FIFA World Ranking (138), which could see them play in round 1 of the qualification process rather than round 2 if they further go down. This could be very dangerous for the Blue Tigers as the round 1 qualifiers are played in a knockout style.
The draw will determine India’s opponents and consequently the path they will have to navigate in the early stages of the qualifiers. Indian football team’s immediate priority should be to secure a spot in the AFC Asian Cup 2031 after failing to make it to this year’s edition of the tournament.
With the FIFA World Cup cycle beginning, every game leading up to the draw will be very crucial for the Blue Tigers as their FIFA World Ranking will determine whether they will enter the upcoming qualifiers from round 1 or round 2.
India’s upcoming schedule
Every fixture before the draw will play a crucial role in determining whether the Blue Tigers will enter the upcoming qualifiers from round 1 or round 2.
The fixtures, however, are not at all easy for the Indian national team as they will play 4 FIFA World Cup 2026 nations in the coming FIFA international windows. The Blue Tigers will play Panama, Brazil and Uruguay in the September-October window, followed by two friendlies against New Zealand in November.
A couple of good results against these highly ranked nations could see the Blue Tigers improve their FIFA World Rankings, however, humiliating results, which are a possibility, could see them further go down in the rankings.
- September 25: India vs Panama, Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru
- October 3: India vs Brazil, VYBK Stadium, Kolkata
- October 6: India vs Uruguay, VYBK Stadium, Kolkata
- November 5: Pakistan vs India (SAFF Championship)
- November 11: India vs Maldives (SAFF Championship)
- November 14: SAFF Championship Semi-finals (if qualified)
- November 17: SAFF Championship Final (if qualified)
- November 12: New Zealand vs India, Go Media Stadium, Auckland
- November 15: New Zealand vs India, One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch
When will the FIFA/AFC preliminary joint qualification round 1 & 2 draw take place?
The draw for the FIFA/AFC preliminary joint qualification round 1 and round 2 will take place on December 15th, 2026
When will the FIFA/AFC preliminary joint qualifiers begin?
The qualifiers will begin from March 2027.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.