New Delhi : The Indian football team defeated Kuwait 1-0 in the second qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match took place in Kuwait at the Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium on Thursday. Neither team managed to score a single goal in the first half. In the second half, Manveer Singh brilliantly scored a goal to give the Indian team a 1-0 lead. India managed to hold on to this lead till the end of the match and went on to win the game. India is currently in Group A.

The team will face Qatar and Afghanistan in the coming matches. The Indian team is playing joint qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027. This qualifying round is also of great importance, as the top two teams in each group will qualify for the FC Asian Cup 2027. The performances of the Indian football team, under the leadership of Sunil Chhetri, have been tremendous for some time now. The team is performing better and better.

In Group A, India has reached second place after beating Kuwait. The Indian team currently has three points. As of now, Qatar is at the top of the group, having won the match against Afghanistan 8-1 and secured first place on goal difference. The Indian team’s next match against the Qatar team will be held on November 21 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. After that, the team will play their last match in Group A against Afghanistan.

The Indian team is stronger and more prepared this time than before. America, Canada, and Mexico are co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will see major changes with 48 teams taking part here instead of 32. There will be 80 matches at this World Cup, of which America will host the majority.

India are currently 106th in the FIFA rankings and therefore cannot qualify on their own. Therefore, India must overcome the difficulty of qualifying. At the World Cup, places are allocated to teams from different associations. If there are 48 teams, the Asian Football Confederation will get 8.5 places. This means that eight teams from Asia can participate.