India began their campaign with a 1-0 win over Kuwait, but a 3-0 defeat to Qatar in Bhubaneshwar does not help their case, and the draw against Afghanistan has only made India’s job at hand tougher.
The Indian men’s football team’s worrying run of form in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers continued on Thursday following their goalless draw against Afghanistan in Saudi Arabia. India were in second place before the match took place, and remains in that same position despite the draw — The Blue Tigers now have four points from three games.
Even heading into the contest, India had the upper hand against lower-ranked Afghanistan and were expected to clinch all three points. Instead, chances went begging for India as forward Manvir Singh had two close opportunities in the first half but failed to convert either of them. Afghanistan too had chances to score but eventually failed to capitalise.
With just one point from three games and a goal-difference of -11, Afghanistan’s chances of qualifying for the third round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers look slim, but India are still in the reckoning. Remember, India have never made it to the third round of the qualifiers, so the upcoming matches are all the more important to keep their hopes alive.
How can India qualify for the next round of qualifiers despite the draw? We take a look:
Halfway into the FIFA World Cup Qualification second round, India sit in a rather cautious position. They began their campaign with a 1-0 win over Kuwait, but a 3-0 defeat to Qatar in Bhubaneshwar does not help their case, and the draw against Afghanistan has only made India’s job at hand tougher. In fact, two victories against Afghanistan (One on Thursday and the other on 26 March), would have put India in prime position to qualify.
The top two teams of each of the nine groups qualify for the third round. Needless to say, India will have to win all three of their remaining games and cannot afford to drop one more point. That would take them to 13 points from six games, and they must also make sure Kuwait, with three points from as many games, win only two of their remaining three games or better yet, they do not win a game at all.
Should India play out two more draws, that would mean India would be on just six points from five games, and that would also allow Kuwait to catch up with a couple of wins.
If India draws against Afghanistan in the return leg in Guwahati on 26 March, and Kuwait beats Qatar, then the India vs Kuwait clash on 6 June could be a potential decider for the second place in the group.
Simply put, India cannot lose or draw another game in the FIFA World Cup qualification second round, because the more points they drop, the higher the risk of missing that top two spots gets. Afterall, Qatar (Nine points) have a five-point lead over India (Four points) currently, and with Kuwait (Three points) and Afghanistan (One point) playing catch up, it seems tricky for Igor Stimac’s side.
Afghanistan, however, have a negative goal difference, and even three victories may not guarantee them a spot in the second round and might have to keep an eye at other results to go in their favour.
India’s remaining fixtures in FIFA World Cup Qualification second round:
26 March: vs Afghanistan (Home)
6 June: vs Kuwait (Home)
11 June: vs Qatar (Away)
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