The two teams will lock horns on November 21 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. India, 102nd in FIFA rankings, is the second-best team in Group A behind world No. The teams will play each other in a home-away round-robin format. The second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers features 36 football teams divided into nine groups of four.
The Indian football team’s matches in the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers will be available on live streaming and telecast in India. The top two teams from the group will qualify for the third qualifying round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America and earn a direct entry in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup to be held in Saudi Arabia.
The Indian men's football team will compete against Asian champions Qatar, Kuwait and Afghanistan in Group A of the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers starting from Thursday.