<h5>Whom did India lose against?</h5><p>Recently, the Indian men’s football team was defeated by Qatar by a score of 3-0 in the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers. The match was held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The defeat leaves India in third place in Group A with one victory and one loss.</p><p>The loss also broke India's 15-match unbeaten run at home. The Indian team tried hard to defeat Qatar but ultimately lost the match. The Indian football squad began its second round of the World Cup qualifying campaign with a 1-0 away win over Kuwait last week. India played against Kuwait at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/india-loses-in-fifa-world-cup-2026-qualifier-match%2FIndia%202.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=ccdbc5e0-7187-4919-b651-26ae0edaa8ca"><figcaption>The Indian team applauds the fans after the match. Photo by Indian Football Team.</figcaption></figure><h5>Are India's qualification chances over after this defeat?</h5><p>India’s qualification chances are not over yet. India is placed in Group A, along with Qatar, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. Every team will play each other twice. The Indian men's football team will resume the qualifier matches with away and home matches against Afghanistan in March 2024. After that, they will face Kuwait and Qatar again later in 2024.</p><p>India must be placed in the top two places to move to the next round.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/india-loses-in-fifa-world-cup-2026-qualifier-match%2FIndia%203.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=e4a0ce8e-2674-4c06-86fe-e50dd62cb85d"><figcaption>Indian fans supporting the team. Photo by Indian Football Team.</figcaption></figure><h5>What’s the qualification process for the Asian teams?</h5><p>A total of nine groups are there in the second round. The top two teams of each group will move to the third round. The 18 qualified teams will be divided into three groups of six teams each. The top two teams in each group (6 teams in total) will then qualify for the FIFA World Cup ‘26.</p><p>Each group's third and fourth-placed teams will move on to the fourth round. They will be divided into two groups of three teams each. The two teams finishing first in their respective groups will join the previous six teams to play in the 2026 World Cup.</p><p>The two groups' runners-up will advance to the fifth round. These two teams will face each other in a two-leg match in November 2025. The winning team will then participate in the FIFA Play-Off Tournament with five other nations.</p><h5>How many Asian teams can qualify for the tournament?</h5><p>Eight Asian teams can directly qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. One more Asian team can join the tournament after qualifying through the FIFA Play-Off Tournament. Canada, the USA, and Mexico will co-host the World Cup.</p><p>For the first time, 48 teams will be participating. The teams will be divided into 12 groups of four teams each. Earlier, 32 teams played in the football World Cup. So, more teams will be able to qualify for the World Cup. This means India can also qualify, but it will be tough. So, let’s all cheer for the Indian football team and hope they qualify.</p>

This defeat broke India’s 15-match unbeaten run at home.

India Loses FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

Collect 150 Hootcoins.

Australia Wins the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup

Virat Kohli Set a New Record for the Most ODI Hundreds

Glenn Maxwell’s Heroics Helps Australia Defeat Afghanistan

India Loses FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

Collect 150 Hootcoins.

Did you read these articles?

Australia Wins the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup

Virat Kohli Set a New Record for the Most ODI Hundreds

Glenn Maxwell’s Heroics Helps Australia Defeat Afghanistan