Can India compete in FIFA 2026?
The 2026 World Cup has been expanded to 48 teams rather than 32, which has increased India's chances as the format change increases Asian team places from 4.5 to 8.
After a 73-year wait, the Indian national football team is finally on its way to making its mark at FIFA 2026. While India qualified for the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, it later decided not to compete in the world's largest football event.
The 2026 World Cup has been expanded to 48 teams rather than 32, which has increased India's chances as the format change increases Asian team places from 4.5 to 8.
India does not need to compete in the first round of Asian qualifying for the World Cup 2026 because it is placed among the top 20 Asian teams in the FIFA rankings. The team must, however, begin participating in Preliminary Round 2, where 36 teams will be grouped into nine groups of four sides each.
Preliminary Round 2 is set to begin in November 2023 and last through June 2024, and India will need to make a strong effort to finish among the top two teams in their group.