Know the schedule, start date, time, groups, venue, & streaming details as the group stage draw for the 2026 AFC FIFA World Cup Qualifiers gets confirmed placing India in Group-A
For the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup – AFC qualifying matches, the Indian men’s football team has been placed in Group A alongside the current Asian champions Qatar and Asian powerhouse Kuwait.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Asia qualifiers India match schedule, date, draw, points table, format and team list
It is known that the winner of first-round match featuring Afghanistan vs. Mongolia will be the other member of this group. Notably, the draw for this stage was made on Thursday at the AFC House in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
ꜰɪꜰᴀ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴄᴜᴘ 2026 ᴘʀᴇʟɪᴍɪɴᴀʀʏ ᴊᴏɪɴᴛ Qᴜᴀʟɪꜰɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʀᴏᴜɴᴅ 2 🤩👏🏽
ɢʀᴏᴜᴘ ᴀ
🇶🇦
🇮🇳
🇰🇼
🇦🇫 / 🇲🇳#FIFAWorldCup 🏆 #AsianCup2027 🏆 #IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/s2uCuzVI5j— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 27, 2023
2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers: AFC second-round schedule, date, venue, format, & participating teams
From November 16, 2023, to June 11, 2024, total of thirty-six football teams will compete in the second round of the AFC qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026. For this stage, twenty-six teams including India received direct entry, and the other ten spots will be filled by first-round match winners. In the second-round, these 36 teams will be divided into nine groups and the top two teams from each group will qualify for round three. Additionally, these eighteen teams will secure their berth in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC second round 2026: group stage standings & point table
Pool A Point Table
| Rank | Team | Matches | Win | Tie | Loss | Points |
| 1 | Qatar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | India | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Kuwait | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Afghanistan/Mongolia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pool B Point Table
| Rank | Team | Matches | Win | Tie | Loss | Points |
| 1 | Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Syria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | North Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Myanmar/Macau | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pool C Point Table
| Rank | Team | Matches | Win | Tie | Loss | Points |
| 1 | South Korea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | China | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Thailand | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Singapore/Guam | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pool D Point Table
| Rank | Team | Matches | Win | Tie | Loss | Points |
| 1 | Oman | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Kyrgyzstan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Malaysia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Chinese Taipei/Timor Leste | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pool E Point Table
| Rank | Team | Matches | Win | Tie | Loss | Points |
| 1 | Iran | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Uzbekistan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Turkmenistan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Hong Kong/Bhutan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pool F Point Table
| Rank | Team | Matches | Win | Tie | Loss | Points |
| 1 | Iraq | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Vietnam | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Phillipines | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Indonesia/Brunei | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pool G Point Table
| Rank | Team | Matches | Win | Tie | Loss | Points |
| 1 | Saudi Arabia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Iran | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Tajikistan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Cambodia/Pakistan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pool H Point Table
| Rank | Team | Matches | Win | Tie | Loss | Points |
| 1 | United Arab Emirates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Bahrain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Yemen/Sri Lanka | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Nepal/Laos | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pool I Point Table
| Rank | Team | Matches | Win | Tie | Loss | Points |
| 1 | Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Palestine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Lebanon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Maldives/Bangladesh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
How India will likely fare at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers?
Owing to their 99th position in the FIFA men’s football rankings, India is considered as the second-best squad in Group-A, just behind global No. 59 Qatar. Meanwhile, Kuwait are ranked 137th in the world and have a poor record against India in recent matches. According to experts, the group winner will undoubtedly be Qatar, who took home the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Despite their difference in FIFA rankings, India managed to manage a draw against Qatar during the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers.
Recently, India faced Kuwait twice during the 2023 SAFF Championship and the first game resulted in a 1-1 draw, while India won the championship game on penalties. India’s second round AFC campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to begin on November 16 against Kuwait, and it will end on June 11 against Qatar. Notably, India has never made it into the FIFA World Cup’s main draw.