India start AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 with a historic FIFA World Cup spot on the line

Life is often about the unforeseen. For a soccer team preparing for a tournament, injuries or sudden health issues can quickly derail months of planning and ambition.

But it’s also about second chances. Just ask the national women’s football team, which qualified for the Asia Cup for the first time on merit this year.

In 2022, when it qualified as host, it would be its first appearance in almost two decades. But when COVID-19 crept into camp, the team had no choice but to withdraw.

In the months that followed, the FIFA rankings fell, dreams of Olympic qualification faded and ambitions faded into complete obscurity, leaving the team in obscurity.

With the men’s team out of the Asian Cup qualifying race, the only roar audible is that of the Blue Tigresses.

«No matter what happens, the team will try to make this tournament a new beginning for women’s football in India,» said Amelia Valverde, the Indian coach. Sports stars.

India crushed Iraq, Mongolia and East Timor before stunning Thailand – the 1983 Asian Cup champions and quarter-finalists of the previous edition – to reach this edition, to be played in Australia between March 1 and 21.

One battle after another

Memory is economical in football. The Asian Cup qualification, though historic, is now over and India must remember that its trial by fire now begins. It will be pitted against heavyweights Japan, Vietnam and Chinese Taipei – all higher-ranked teams, with the first two having played in the previous FIFA Women’s World Cup.

India appointed Valverde earlier this year, mainly because of her previous experience in guiding Costa Rica to two Women’s World Cups. She has previously faced four Asian opponents as a coach – Japan, South Korea, China and the Philippines – losing only to Japan, the winners of the 2011 World Cup and the highest-ranked team entering the tournament.

«In our group (for this edition) we have different (types of) opponents. Japan is the favorite, regardless of the tournament. It is like clockwork: very disciplined. They do everything in a calculated way and always want to move forward,» said Valverde.

«Vietnam and Chinese Taipei are both well organized, but are in a developing phase. Chinese Taipei is particularly fast.»

In India, Valverde will take comfort in the quality of the squad she has inherited, as there are several players with experience abroad. For example, Aveka Singh plays for the Danish second division club Næstved HG, while Manisha Kalyan practices at the Peruvian top club Alianza Lima.

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The duo, together with Soumya Guguloth – she previously won the Croatian Premier Division with Dinamo Zagreb – and Dangmei Grace – who previously won Uzbekistan’s top title with Sevinch Karshi – will form a promising head of Valverde’s 3-4-3 diamond formation.

Sangita Basfore, whose exploits took India to the tournament – she scored both goals against Thailand – will be the lynchpin in midfield. Indian Women’s League-winning East Bengal captain Sweety Devi is expected to line the defense.

Under Crispin Chhetri and Thomas Dennerby, India have played with a four-man back line, which is likely to morph into a back three with a narrow front line, à la Antonio Conte – a line Valverde used for Costa Rica.

However, the coach has kept her cards close to her chest this period, with India playing all seven preparatory matches behind closed doors. Nevertheless, the results were promising: of the seven games, the team lost only twice, scored ten goals and conceded four goals.

Despite ticking several good boxes, India are not favorites to win the title. But there is more at stake here. At least six and a maximum of eight countries will qualify for the Women’s World Cup in Brazil in 2027: six through direct qualification and two through intercontinental play-offs.

«Our goal is simple – to qualify for the World Cup and this is the closest we have come to that. That is why we have given the women’s team the best possible facilities. They have completed their preparation abroad in Turkey,» All India Football Federation President Kalyan Chaubey said.

«We have ensured that a World Cup-tested coach will lead the team. So our agenda was in line with what Swami Vivekananda said: ‘Get up, wake up and don’t stop until the goal is achieved’.»

How can India qualify for the World Cup?

To qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, India will need to finish in the top two of its group – at the Asian Cup – or as one of the two best third-placed teams participating in the knockouts.

There are then three ways to secure historic World Cup qualification: secure a spot in the semi-finals, win the play-ins or triumph in the intercontinental play-offs.

«Our goal has always been to reach Brazil and experience the World Cup experience. Now we are just one step away,» Sangita told AIFF.com. “We have to prove ourselves in Australia, represent the national team and fly our flag.”

The bigger picture

India is not alone in rewriting its script. For the first time in 27 years, two countries from South Asia – India and Bangladesh – have qualified for the tournament, with Bangladesh making its debut.

Bangladesh faced major controversy when Peter Butler took over as head coach, with a dozen national team players boycotting the side. Butler went on to rebuild the team from the ground up and wrote a golden chapter in the country’s football history.

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Iran, on the other hand, secured back-to-back qualifications for the Asian Cup, this time under legendary coach Marzieh Jafari. In 2003, a devastating earthquake claimed the lives of all the players of the first indoor football team she founded.

But instead of succumbing to the pain, she opted for reconstruction. After winning eight top women’s titles, she will now look to inspire the national team in Australia.

Meanwhile, Australia enters the tournament as one of the clear favourites, alongside Japan, defending champions China and North Korea.

The host has European stars in Sam Kerr, Ellie Carpenter, Caitlin Foord and Kyra Cooney-Cross, and after a remarkable fourth-place finish at the 2023 World Cup, will look to continue its purple patch on home soil.

But beneath the spectacle lies an uncomfortable inequality: the prize money. The Women’s European Championship has a prize pool of US$47.2 million, the Women’s African Cup of Nations 2024 has a prize pool of US$3.475 million, while the Copa America Femenina 2025 will hand out US$2 million.

In contrast, the Women’s Asian Cup prize pool remains at US$1.8 million, unchanged from the previous edition, making it the lowest-paying continental tournament in the world.

However, for India this time, it was never about the money.

The redemption arc in the Asian Cup may be complete, but the country now has the chance to go one step further – by qualifying for the World Cup and changing the trajectory of women’s football in India forever.

Published on March 1, 2026