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The Indian senior women’s football team has been placed in Group B of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 Qualifiers, alongside Thailand, Mongolia, Timor Leste, and Iraq. The draw was conducted at the AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
Thailand will host all Group B matches in a centralised single round-robin format from June 23 to July 5. The team that finishes at the top of the group will qualify for the final tournament, which is set to take place across three host cities in Australia from March 1 to 26, 2026.
The draw was based on FIFA Women’s World Rankings published on March 6, 2025, with teams divided into five seeding pots accordingly. India will be aiming to secure a spot in the continental championship, where they will compete against strong opponents for a chance to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil.
The qualifying tournament consists of eight groups, each competing for a single qualification spot in the main event. The groups feature several competitive teams, with notable matchups expected across all sections.
Group A consists of Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Singapore, and Bhutan. Group C features Myanmar, Bahrain, Bangladesh, and Turkmenistan, while Group D includes Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, and Pakistan. Vietnam, Guam, the United Arab Emirates, and the Maldives will compete in Group E, whereas Group F consists of Uzbekistan, Nepal, Laos, and Sri Lanka.
In Group G, the Philippines, Hong Kong, China, Cambodia, and Saudi Arabia will battle for qualification. Group H will see DPR Korea, Malaysia, Palestine, and Tajikistan competing for a place in the final tournament.
A total of 34 teams will fight for eight available spots in the 21st edition of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup. The host nation, Australia, along with the top three teams from the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022—defending champions China, runners-up Korea Republic, and third-placed Japan—have already secured automatic qualification.
The top six teams from the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026 will earn direct qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil 2027. India’s journey in the qualifiers will be crucial in determining their place in the tournament and their aspirations for a spot in the global competition.
