India have announced their 25-man squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers, with matches against Kuwait and Qatar set to take place in November. Igor Stimac has chosen a strong squad to maximise their chances of making it to the next round, but is without Anwar Ali and Jeakson Singh, both of whom miss out through injury.
The Blue Tigers have never made it to the final stages of World Cup qualification, and will be hopeful of making it to Round 3, which they will be able to achieve via a top two finish. It would also ensure automatic qualification to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup for India if they are able to achieve it.
India name 25-man squad for FIFA World Cup 2026 QualifiersÂ
Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Vishal Kaith
Defenders: Akash Mishra, Lalchungnunga, Mehtab Singh, Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke, Roshan Singh Naorem, Sandesh Jhingan and Subhashish Bose
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Brandon Fernandes, Apuia, Liston Colaco, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Rohit Kumar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Suresh Singh Wangjam and Udanta Singh Kumam
Forwards: Ishan Pandita, Lalianzuala Chhangte, Manvir Singh, Rahul KP and Sunil Chhetri
India will face Kuwait in their first match, and will host Qatar at the Kalinga Stadium in their second game. They are currently training in Dubai and will travel to Kuwait soon for their first qualifier.Â
The Blue Tigers have been drawn in with Afghanistan, Kuwait and Qatar in their group and will begin their campaign on November 16.
