How can India qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will see 48 teams instead of 32, which doubles India's chances of making it through the biggest stage. In the second round of qualifiers, the Blue Tigers are currently 3rd in Group A. With 4 matches of the double round-robin format still to play, India needs to finish in the top 2 to qualify for the 3rd round, which will have three groups of six teams each. They will play each other twice, and the top 2 will qualify for the World Cup.

Meanwhile, the third and fourth-placed teams will qualify for round 4 and will be divided into 2 groups of 3. The teams will play each other once at a neutral venue, and the winners of the two groups go through to the World Cup, while the runners-up qualify for the 5th round. The remaining two teams will then play home and away, and the winner of the tie will go through to the inter-confederation playoff with a chance to qualify for the World Cup.