A 2-1 loss to Afghanistan in Guwahati on Tuesday dealt a massive blow to India’s hopes of qualifying for the third round of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Does the loss put India out of contention?
No. India are still second in their group at the moment. If Kuwait don’t manage a win against Qatar later on Tuesday, it will remain that way at the end of the fourth round of matches in this group. India host Kuwait in June, in a game that is an absolute must-win.
The group as it stands:
What do India need to do to remain in contention to qualify for the next round?
The long, short and medium form of the situation is that India need to beat Kuwait. A draw probably won’t do, given that Kuwait will face Afghanistan on the last matchday, and a win for one of them in that game will take them above India.
India were unbeaten in three games against Kuwait in 2023, including a massive 1-0 win in Kuwait City in November at the start of this qualifying campaign which now seems a long time ago, given how poor the qualifiers have gone since then for India.
India had drawn twice against Kuwait in the SAFF Championships in Bengaluru earlier in 2023, so it’s clear that the two teams are very evenly matched, so an India win isn’t a foregone conclusion.
If India beat Kuwait, they will go up to seven points, and will ensure that Kuwait cannot catch them. If Afghanistan lose to Qatar in their next game, then they’ll have to beat Kuwait by a large margin to catch India, with Ashley Westwood’s side’s goal difference being severely impacted by an 8-1 loss to Qatar on the opening matchday.
What if India draw against Kuwait?
They will have to get a result against Qatar in their last game of this round to qualify for the next. If India lose to Qatar, then the winner of Kuwait against Afghanistan will go through to the next round. If Kuwait and Afghanistan draw too, then India will need a point against Qatar. The loss against Afghanistan has made it clear that Qatar are likely to be bit too much for India, even though they would’ve qualified by then, and might make a few changes to their squad.
