India’s aspirations for broad sporting representation at the upcoming 2026 Asian Games are facing a major setback, with both the men’s and women’s national football teams now unlikely to travel to Japan for the multisport event scheduled from September 19 to October 4. Sources say the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) plans to strictly adhere to the Government’s performance-based criteria, leaving football on the outside looking in this time.
The current guidelines set by the sports ministry stipulate that individual athletes must be ranked in the top-6 in Asia, and team sports must be placed in the top-8 in continental rankings in order to be cleared to represent the country at the Asian Games- the same yardstick applied for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
That benchmark appears increasingly likely to rule out both Indian football sides. The men’s team currently sits 27th in Asia and 141st in the world, while the women’s side is placed 12th continentally and 67th globally, falling short of the top-8 threshold required for automatic qualification.
This scenario echoes past decisions by the national sporting body. At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, the IOA initially refused to clear India’s football teams, only for the decision to be overturned at the last minute after a government concession. That reprieve saw the men’s team exit in the round of 16 against Saudi Arabia, while the women bowed out at the group stage.
But this time, sources indicate the IOA is unlikely to push for a similar relaxation of criteria, despite ongoing optimism within the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and among fans that the teams should be given exposure on Asia’s biggest multi-sport stage.
India’s struggles on the ranking front stem from inconsistent international performances over recent years. The men’s national side failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after suffering a mixed qualifying campaign, finishing third in their group behind Qatar and Kuwait, ending another chapter without a spot on football’s biggest stage. Meanwhile, efforts to climb Asia’s ranks have also been hampered by qualification challenges in continental competitions.
For the women, while the team has shown progress regionally and earned praise for qualifying for major tournaments like the upcoming AFC Women’s Asian Cup, the rankings still fall short amid a landscape where the top-8 criterion is decisive for Games selection.
The stringent selection standards have sparked debate among stakeholders and fans alike. Advocates argue that athletic development, especially for team sports like football, requires consistent exposure against strong competition, something only achieved through participation in high-level multi-sport events such as the Asian Games. Others within the sports ecosystem argue that tightening such criteria could push federations toward delivering sustained performance improvements.
However, with the IOA poised to stick to the qualification rules without exceptions this cycle, the likelihood of Indian football teams featuring in the 2026 Asian Games lineup appears slim.
Despite this disappointment, football authorities are looking ahead. The AIFF has been pursuing broader competitive exposure for its teams at youth and senior levels, while preparations continue for continental competitions that offer FIFA ranking points and performance benchmarks.
Still, unless rankings improve significantly by future cut-off dates or unless a relaxation clause is invoked, India’s football teams appear set to miss out, reinforcing the ongoing challenge of balancing competitive standards with developmental opportunities on the international stage.
