Qatar vs India Preview, predicted lineup, injury news, H2H, telecast | 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

It is a do-or-die situation for the Blue Tigers as they desperately need three points.

India will finish off their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers second round journey with a tricky trip against defending AFC Asian Cup champions Qatar on Tuesday (11 June). After a disappointing outing in Sunil Chhetri’s final game, the Blue Tigers are in desperate need of a win to keep their dream of reaching the third round of qualifiers alive and well.

Even though they face a Qatar team without many of their stars from the Asian Cup success, it’ll still be a tricky task for Igor Stimac’s men to get a win against one of Asia’s very best.

The Stakes

India

The Blue Tigers have suffered several hiccups in the second phase of their FIFA World Cup second-round qualifiers. With the recent draw against Kuwait and poor results against Afghanistan, India have failed to keep the equations simple for qualifying for the third round. To do so, they need a victory and hope Afghanistan doesn’t defeat Kuwait in their final match.

Igor Stimac has to ensure that his team’s performance levels are significantly higher against Qatar as compared to how they played against Kuwait. The Blue Tigers have to be defensively even stronger and, more importantly, ruthless in finishing off whatever chances are created to grab a win. A draw or loss would make a bitter end to the qualifying campaign and squash any hopes of making it to the 2026 World Cup.

Qatar

Qatar were surprisingly held to a draw by Afghanistan recently, but that’s because of how young and inexperienced their squad for these qualifiers are. Having already topped their group, the Maroons have nothing to play for in these matches anymore.

However, the promising young guns of the Qatar side will look to impress their home crowd by putting in an attractive performance against India.

The Maroons still have a lot of quality, especially in the attacking areas, and will look to push hard for a win to end their second round of qualifying on a high.

A loss or draw won’t matter that much, but knowing their winning mentality, Qatar will not at all make things easy for India to get a decent result.

Also Read: How can India still qualify for Round 3 of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers?

Injury & Team News

Vikram Partap Singh is back in the India squad after missing the last game due to suspension. However, the likes of Subhasish Bose, Amey Ranawade and Lalchungnunga have been excluded from the India squad travelling to Qatar. The Maroons, meanwhile, should have the same squad that travelled for the Afghanistan clash.

Head-to-Head

Games Played – 5

India Wins – 1

Qatar Wins – 2

Draw – 2

Also Read: Qatar vs India: Three key battles that could decide the 2026 World Cup Qualifier

Predicted Lineups

India (4-2-3-1)

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (GK); Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke, Anwar Ali, Jay Gupta; Jeakson Singh, Suresh Singh; Brandon Fernandes, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Liston Colaco; Vikram Partap Singh

Qatar (3-4-3)

Saad Al Sheeb (GK); Abdalla Yousif, Mohammed Aiash, Yousef Marel; Tahsin Jamshed, Moustafa Tarek, Abdullah Al-Ahrak, Hazem Shehata; Abdulla Alyazidi, Yousuf Abdurisag, Ahmed Al-Rawi

Players To Watch

Yousuf Abdurisag (Qatar)

The 24-year-old has proven to be a versatile asset for his national team over the last few years and his adaptability makes him a key player in this Qatar squad.

Abdurisag can not only play as a forward, but also in either of the wings and even as an attacking midfielder if necessary. He’s coming off a decent 2023-24 season with Al-Sadd, having scored six goals and provided two assists in 24 games.

He’s scored three goals in 29 games for Qatar so far, a tally he’s desperate to improve. The 24-year-old will aim to be a thorn for the Indian defenders with his clever-off-the-ball runs, troubling them with smart link-up play and getting himself into promising positions.

Abdurisag is a devoted team player who will look to get the best out of his teammates with his clever distribution and also get himself at the end of chances.

Lallianzuala Chhangte (India)

After having an underwhelming game against Kuwait, Lallianzuala Chhangte will have even more responsibilities against Qatar. The Mumbai City star, however, needs to be more proactive inside the box to work his magic for India. He needs to cut into central areas and try to get the ball as close to the goal as possible.

Chhangte has to time his runs and his off-the-ball movement smartly enough to evade the young Qatar players and get himself into promising positions.

More importantly, however, he’ll need to finish off chances when he gets the ball inside the box and must be more accurate with his shooting. Chhangte also has to improve his link-up play and nail his final passes to lighten up India’s forward line and give his side a chance to defeat Qatar.

Also Read: How has Indian head coach Igor Stimac fared against Qatar in the past?

Did you know?

• India have only scored one goal from open play in their last nine games across all competitions.
• Qatar’s goalless draw against Afghanistan marked the first time they failed to score against an opponent since October 2023 (0-4 loss to Iran).
• India have kept two clean sheets in their last three World Cup qualifiers.

Telecast Details

The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier clash between Qatar and India will take place at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Al Rayyan on June 11. It will kick off at 9:15 PM IST. The match between Qatar and India will be streamed live on FanCode.

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