The India national football team will square off against Asian champions Qatar in their crucial FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 preliminary joint qualification Round 2 match at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Tuesday, June 11.
The India vs Qatar FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match will be live streamed in India. The FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers second round Group A match will start at 9:15 PM IST.
Under head coach Igor Stimac, the Indian football team will qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers third round if they beat Qatar and maintain their goal difference advantage over Afghanistan, who will lock horns with Kuwait on the same day.
After being held to a goalless draw by Kuwait at the Salt Lake Stadium in their previous qualifying match on Thursday, India remained in the second spot in Group A standings with five points from five matches with a goal difference of -3.
On the other hand, Afghanistan played out a 0-0 draw against Qatar in their last FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier to maintain their third spot in the standings with a goal difference of -10.
Having accumulated four points from five games, Kuwait are currently placed at the bottom of the Group A standings.
With Qatar having already secured their place in the third place, the three remaining teams still remain in contention for the second and final berth.
Meanwhile, Indian football team head coach Igor Stimac announced a 23-member squad ahead of the crucial fixture against Qatar on Saturday.
Bengaluru FC goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu was announced as the new Indian football team captain after Sunil Chhetri’s retirement.
Defenders Subhasish Bose, Lalchungnunga, and Amey Ranawade, who were part of the squad for the Kuwait game, were not included in the latest squad. Bose will miss the Qatar game due to personal reasons.
India are currently ranked 121st in the FIFA world rankings while Qatar are placed 34th.
India vs Qatar football head-to-head
Qatar have a dominant head-to-head record against India in international football. The two-time defending AFC Asian Cup champions have registered three wins and one draw in the four matches that they have played against India so far.
The last time these two sides met, Qatar defeated India 3-0 in a FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar in November 2023.
India’s national football team squad vs Qatar
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Amrinder Singh, Vishal Kaith.
Defenders: Anwar Ali, Jay Gupta, Mehtab Singh, Narender, Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Edmund Lalrindika, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Nandhakumar Sekar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam
Forwards: Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Vikram Partap Singh, David Lalhlansanga
Where to watch India vs Qatar FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers live
Live streaming of the India vs Qatar FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers will be available on the FanCode app and website in India.
There will be no live telecast of the India vs Qatar FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers on any TV channel in India.
Photo credit: Alamy
