India has been placed in Group A of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 qualifiers, alongside hosts Kuwait, Australia, and Mongolia. The draw took place at the AFC House on Thursday.
For the first time, the draw was conducted according to FIFA Futsal rankings, with 31 teams divided into eight groups—seven groups of four teams each and one group with three teams.
The eight group winners and the seven best-ranked runners-up from the qualifiers will join hosts Indonesia in the 18th edition of the finals, scheduled from 27th January to 7th February.
Ranked 135th globally, India is participating in their second qualification campaign for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup. They previously lost all three of their qualifying matches in 2023.
India’s Group-A opponents—Kuwait, Australia, and Mongolia—are ranked 40th, 52nd, and 112th, respectively, in the FIFA rankings. The qualifiers will be held from September 20 to 24 in Kuwait City.
Top seeds Thailand will face Korea Republic, Bahrain, and Brunei Darussalam in Group B. Four-time champions Japan lead Group C, which includes hosts Tajikistan, Macau, and Cambodia. Group D will see Iraq, hosts Saudi Arabia, Chinese Taipei, and Pakistan competing for the top spot.
