India's Challenging Road to the Women's World Cup

India's women's national football team has been placed in Group C of the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026, drawn alongside powerhouse teams Japan, former champions Chinese Taipei, and Vietnam. The prestigious tournament will take place in Australia from March 1 to 21, 2026.

The draw ceremony was held at Sydney Town Hall, where 12 teams were categorized into three groups of four. India's opening match is against Vietnam on March 4 at the Perth Rectangular Stadium, followed by games against Japan on March 7 and Chinese Taipei on March 10, with the Blue Tigresses aiming for a top-two group finish to advance.

Reaching the quarter-finals is crucial as it guarantees the semi-finalists spots at the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. India's coach, Crispin Chettri, acknowledged the challenging group but emphasized preparation and teamwork as the focus to secure a World Cup berth for the team ranked 70th in the world.

(With inputs from agencies.)