Qatar and Saudi Arabia both secured a spot at next year's World Cup on Tuesday after clinching first place in their groups in the fourth round of Asian qualifying.
10-man India went down 1-2 against hosts Qatar in the AFC U23 Asian Cup qualifier, with a controversial penalty turning out to be the decisive factor.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has lodged a complaint with the match commissioner, seeking a probe into the controversial goal awarded to Qatar in their crucial World Cup qualifying match in Doha.
Igor Stimac was non-committal about his future with the team after it crashed out of the 2026 World Cup qualification race following a controversial 1-2 loss to Asian champions Qatar
India suffered a 1-2 defeat at the home of the two-time Asian champions to bow out of contention from the third round of qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
The controversial decision turned the game on its head as Qatar scored their second through Ahmed Al-Rawi in the 85th minute.
Poor refereeing robbed India of a chance to secure a historic entry into the third round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers as fancied Qatar rode on a controversial goal to emerge 2-1 winners.
India vs Qatar Live Streaming FIFA World Cup Qualifier Live Telecast: Where To Watch Match Live
Qatar vs India Live Streaming FIFA World Cup Qualifier Live Telecast: Where To Watch Match Live
FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier India vs Qatar Highlights: India crashed out of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers after losing 1-2 against Qatar.
The influential Sunil Chhetri's absence will be a difficult void to fill as the Indian football team enters a testing transition phase with a crucial FIFA World Cup qualifying match against heavyweights Qatar
Hosts Qatar retained the Asian Cup with a 3-1 win on Saturday against surprise packages Jordan with Akram Afif the home hero with a hat-trick of penalties.
Mousa Al-Tamari, who also scored twice in a 4-0 thrashing of Malaysia at the start of the tournament, is the only member of the Jordan squad playing in Europe.
Qatar squeezed into an Asian Cup final showdown with Jordan after beating Iran 3-2 with an 82nd-minute winner in a frenetic semi-final on Wednesday
Goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham was Qatar's hero as the hosts and holders beat Uzbekistan 3-2 on penalties on Saturday to propel them into an Asian Cup semi-final
Hosts and holders Qatar fought back to defeat Palestine 2-1 and reach the Asian Cup quarter-finals on Monday, joining a Jordan side who struck twice in injury time to stun Iraq
Defending champions and hosts Qatar got their Asian Cup campaign off to a flying start with a 3-0 win over Lebanon in the tournament's opening game on Friday
India next play their 2026 World Cup qualifiers match against Afghanistan at the neutral venue of Dushanbe, Tajikistan on March 21 next year.