The India national football team team could not make the history after they failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 2026 during the qualifiers. In the final game of Group A, India was defeated 2-1 by Qatar, which eventually marked their exit from the second round even after such an excellent performance.
Qatar sitting at 34th in the global rankings, proved their strength as the current Asian champions by turning the game around after trailing by a goal. India, ranked 121st, managed one win across six matches and ended third in their group. Even so, their determination and fight throughout the qualifiers deserve recognition.
This proves that the Indian football team has lost the opportunity for the world’s best football competition once again. It is now time to focus on the prospects of making changes and getting ready to take part in other competitions.
India National Football Team Performance in Doha
Early Moments Show Promise
Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu leading India as captain that night, faced an early challenge and made a sharp save in the opening two minutes. Though Qatar controlled the game on, India still found chances to shine.
Manvir Singh let a great chance slip just after the 30-minute mark. But India didn’t have to wait much longer to turn things around. In the 37th minute, Brandon Fernandes sent a cross, and Lallianzuala Chhangte finished it putting India ahead with a surprising 1-0 lead.
Second Half Turnaround
India worked to hold onto their lead. After the match resumed, Mehtab Singh stepped up with an important block, but Qatar’s strength became evident not long after. Yousef Aymen leveled the score in the 73rd minute, and Ahmed Al-Rawi secured victory for the home side with a late goal in the 85th minute.
Jay Gupta and Liston Colaco both tried to find a way to net a goal, but the India national football team failed to answer back. Their hopes for the World Cup came to an end, though their performance hinted at small steps forward.
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