FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers, live streaming: where to watch India in action - full schedule
India, Qatar, Kuwait and Afghanistan will vie for the top two spots in Group A to get a direct entry into the 2027 Asian Cup. Watch live!
Football
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.
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 football team’s matches in the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers will be available on live streaming and telecast in India.
The second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers features 36 football teams divided into nine groups of four. The teams will play each other in a home-away round-robin format.
India, 102nd in FIFA rankings, is the second-best team in Group A behind world No. 61 Qatar. The two teams will lock horns on November 21 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
India, led by talismanic Sunil Chhetri, will open their campaign with an away tie against world No. 136 Kuwait on Thursday. India’s final Group A match will be against Qatar on June 11 next year. India will play both of their matches against world No. 154 Afghanistan in March.
While the Indian men’s football team has made four appearances at the Olympic Games, it has never qualified for the main draw of the FIFA World Cup.
India have also featured in the AFC Asian Cup four times — 1964, 1984, 2011 and 2019 — and qualified for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup scheduled in Qatar. India's best finish in the continental event came in 1964 when they finished runners-up behind Israel.
Where to watch FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers football live in India
Live streaming of the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers will be on Jio Cinema. The football matches will also be telecast live on Sports18 1, Sports 18 1HD, and Sports18 3 TV channels in India.
FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers: Indian football squad
Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Vishal Kaith
Defenders: Akash Mishra, Lalchungnunga, Mehtab Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke, Roshan Singh Naorem, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Lalengmawia, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Rohit Kumar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam, Udanta Singh Kumam
Forwards: Ishan Pandita, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Rahul KP, Sunil Chhetri
FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers schedule: Indian football team’s second round matches
As per Indian Standard Time (IST)