<p>The All India Football Federation formally announced on Saturday that Bhubaneswar and Guwahati would host India’s first two home games in the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2.<img decoding=”async” class=”alignnone wp-image-156976″ src=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/theindiaprint.com-indias-first-two-fifa-world-cup-qualifiers-are-held-at-bhubaneswar-and-guwahati-e8a2e36da9-11zon-750×427.jpg” alt=”theindiaprint.com indias first two fifa world cup qualifiers are held at bhubaneswar and guwahati e8a2e36da9 11zon” width=”1393″ height=”793″ srcset=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/theindiaprint.com-indias-first-two-fifa-world-cup-qualifiers-are-held-at-bhubaneswar-and-guwahati-e8a2e36da9-11zon-750×427.jpg 750w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/theindiaprint.com-indias-first-two-fifa-world-cup-qualifiers-are-held-at-bhubaneswar-and-guwahati-e8a2e36da9-11zon-768×437.jpg 768w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/theindiaprint.com-indias-first-two-fifa-world-cup-qualifiers-are-held-at-bhubaneswar-and-guwahati-e8a2e36da9-11zon-150×85.jpg 150w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/theindiaprint.com-indias-first-two-fifa-world-cup-qualifiers-are-held-at-bhubaneswar-and-guwahati-e8a2e36da9-11zon.jpg 800w” sizes=”(max-width: 1393px) 100vw, 1393px” title=”India's first two FIFA World Cup qualifiers are held at Bhubaneswar and Guwahati 9″></p>
<p>India is grouped alongside Qatar, Kuwait, and the winner of the preliminary joint qualification round 1 match between Afghanistan and Mongolia in Group A for the Asian qualifiers. They will all compete on the same stage.</p>
<p>The voyage begins on November 16 when India travels to play Kuwait, followed by November 21 by a historic match against the defending AFC Asian Cup winners, Qatar, at Bhubaneswar’s prestigious Kalinga Stadium.</p>
<p>India will compete in back-to-back games against either Afghanistan or Mongolia in 2024. The squad travels for the first leg on March 21, and the second leg, which is slated for March 26, takes place on their home field at Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Stadium.</p>
<p>The Football Association of Odisha and the Assam Football Association received congratulations from AIFF secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran for their successful efforts to secure the hosting rights for these important games. He sent his best wishes for their efforts to host events of the highest caliber with assistance from the corresponding state administrations.</p>
<p>More information regarding the hosts for India’s home leg versus Kuwait on June 6 of next year will be made public at a later time, which should increase enthusiasm among football fans nationwide.</p>
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