When will Indian football team play next?

The Blue Tigers will play the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 in September

India are set to battle it out against some good teams as they are set to participate in the upcoming FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026. Moving ahead the Blue Tigers also have some important friendlies scheduled against New Zealand and the SAFF Championship 2026 in the November FIFA window.

Following a disappointing run in the Unity Cup 2026 and a difficult friendly tour of Tajikistan, where they played two international friendlies, the Blue Tigers suffered a major setback under Khalid Jamil.

The Indian side didn’t clinch a single victory in their two outings in Unity Cup 2026 as they faced Jamaica and Zimbabwe, along with this, Khalid Jamil’s squad fell short against Tajikistan at their home.

They are set to face tough challenges in the upcoming fixtures and will be aiming for improved performances as they gear up for the FIFA qualifiers next year.

India look to make their mark at FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026

The Blue Tigers look to square things off as they are scheduled to play the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026. According to reports, the competition is likely to be played during the September international window from 21st September to 6th October 2026.

This is a major tournament for the Indian Football Team as it will help them to bring back the glory and look to establish and gain some confidence in the squad after their winless run.

Players who played a pivotal part in the recent games and earned some minutes will look to bag some good gametime in the FIFA ASEAN Cup.

Talking about the national team’s campaign ahead, attention will also turn to the SAFF Championship 2026, which was postponed due to scheduling clashes with the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026 and the New Zealand friendlies.

A crucial friendly tour to New Zealand

Following the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026, the Blue Tigers will travel to New Zealand to play two friendlies against the All Whites.

India will take on New Zealand in a two-match international friendly series during the FIFA international window later in November this year.

The Blue Tigers will first face them at the Go Media Stadium in Auckland on November 12th and travel to Christchurch next for the second game at the newly built One New Zealand Stadium on November 15th.

The Christchurch fixture will also mark the first-ever football match to be played at the venue.

SAFF Championship 2026

The SAFF Championship 2026 is all set to be played in the November FIFA window starting a couple of days ahead of it on 4th November and will end on 17th November.

The question however is that whether the senior team will play the SAFF Championship 2026 or the U-23 will be fielded as the senior team will be playing New Zealand during the same window in November 2026.

Blue Tigers horrific form in the recent games

The squad under Khalid Jamil didn’t live up to the expectations as they failed to deliver in the Unity Cup 2026 and in their two games against Tajikistan.

They played four games altogether and fell short because of major problems on and off the field.

Mohun Bagan SG did not release any of their players to play a part in the Unity Cup 2026. Not only that in the field, but the gameplay and the mentality among the players have been devastated.

Firstly, in the Unity Cup 2026, the Indian side faced Jamaica, where the gap in gameplay was clearly visible as they were defeated by the Reggae Boyz. The Blue Tigers also lost in their third-place game against Zimbabwe.

They carried the same form into their trip to Central Asia to face Tajikistan. Chhangte and company suffered a defeat in one match before securing a hard-fought draw in the other, bringing their international window to a close.

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