The Blue Tigers have been drawn in Group B, alongside Australia (January 13), Uzbekistan (January 18), and Syria (January 23). The top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed finishers (out of six) will make their way into the Round of 16
Nikhil Prabhu, Dimitrios Chatziisaias and Luka Majcen scored for Punjab FC while Harsh Patre, Curtis Main and Javi Hernandez scored for Bengaluru. Bengaluru levelled the match from two goals behind denying Punjab FC their first win of the season
Mustafa Meshaal (4'), Almoez Ali (47') and Yusuf Abdurisag (86') registered their names on the scoresheet for Qatar. India had a solid phase near the end of the first half but overall they were no match for the quality offered by Asian champions Qatar.
Ahead of India's World Cup Qualifier match against Qatar at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, Blue Tigers' goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu hoped to achieve more success with the national football team in the coming years.
India's next clash is against World number 61 Qatar on November 21 in their second group A match. Group A also features Afghanistan. These four teams will play each other in home-aeay round-robin format.
The 39-year-old has helped Indian football gain recognition worldwide and helped the 'Blue Tigers' win matches in many games. The Indian skipper's contribution to Indian football have helped India climb up in the FIFA rankings and bag multiple trophies.
In the World Cup 2026 qualifiers round, India have drawn alongside Qatar, Kuwait, and Afghanistan. The 'Blue Tigers' need to secure a top-two spot to advance to the next round.
Indian football skipper Sunil Chhetri is anticipating the day when the 'Blue Tigers' will take part in the FIFA World Cup and expressed hope that this moment will arrive soon.
In 2002, India scripted a remarkable tale, clinching a sensational 1-0 victory over the United Arab Emirates during the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The magical moment of the match came in the 71st minute when Jules Alberto Dias struck the all-important goal.
The home side comes into this game on the back of a 1-1 draw against Mumbai City FC last weekend; whereas the Blues blew away a two-goal lead to face a 3-2 defeat to Odisha FC in Bhubaneswar, as per an ISL press release.
Bengaluru FC head coach Simon Grayson lamented not converting their chances into goals after his team missed all three points against Odisha FC in an Indian Super League (ISL) game at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday.