Will India play in FIFA World Cup 2026?

FIFA World Cup 2026 will be hosted by USA, Mexico and Canada.

While the whole football community worldwide, including football fans in India, is excited about the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw, every Indian football fan wonders if India will play. No, the Blue Tigers have lost out on another chance to participate in the esteemed competition.

Everyone then asks itself, “If not now, when can we see India play in the World Cup?” There is no conclusive answer to this topic unless we address internal politics and our grassroots system. For now, though, let’s examine India’s performance throughout the World Cup qualifying campaign and the current situation of Indian Football.

India’s record in 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers (AFC)

In the second round of the 2026 AFC FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, the Indian Football Team were grouped with Afghanistan, Qatar, and Kuwait in Group A. The Blue Tigers, seeded as a pot 2 team, was anticipated to breeze through their group and proceed to the subsequent round as the runner-up. To their credit, they began the season with an important 1-0 victory over Kuwait away from home. However, things got worse since then.

The Blue Tigers were predicted to lose to Qatar, but they were unable to defeat Afghanistan at home and away. They even lost at home to Ashley Westwood’s Afghanistan. Only one point out of a potential six versus Afghanistan was the major reason why India failed to advance to the next round.

With two victories necessary in the remaining two games against Qatar and Kuwait, Igor Stimac’s squad drew against Kuwait and went down 2-1 to Qatar, a match famed for Qatar’s questionable goal. India’s elimination in the second round, despite drawing a relatively easy group, is completely unacceptable, regardless of contentious referee rulings.

Reasons for the poor campaign

India, managed by former Croatian head coach Igor Stimac, entered the qualifications in good form, having won three international championships at home.

They were unable to do the same in the qualifiers, though. Reasons such as dubious team selections, short camps, an overreliance on Sunil Chhetri for goals, and an inability to take attacking chances all contributed to the team’s dismal performance. Following the elimination, the AIFF fired Igor Stimac, the head coach.

Current Situation of Indian Football

If you are thinking, “When will India become a football powerhouse?” it is best to first comprehend the current state of the Indian football ecosystem.

First off, the sleeping giants of football failed to make it to the AFC Asian Cup as well, in addition to the World Cup. Most importantly, the entire football ecosystem is at risk of extinction. For the last six months, there hasn’t been any football league for both men’s and women’s football across various divisions.

At a time when they should be addressing issues on the football field, clubs are filing cases at the Supreme Court. The current constitution, led by Kalyan Chaubey, created Vision 2047 to propel Indian football ahead.

However, since taking office, the Blue Tigers have been on a steady decline under him. If the current state of affairs continues, young people nationwide won’t even be able to dream about a career in football.

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