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Delhi, the capital city of India, has made an official bid to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to host the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 joint qualifier match between India and Qatar. The match is scheduled to be held on November 21, 2023, as part of the second round of the Asian qualification process.
Football Delhi, the governing body of football in Delhi, has expressed its desire to host the match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which has a capacity of over 60,000 spectators. In the 2017–18 Indian Super League season, the football pitch in the stadium was named the "Best Pitch" in the league by the ISL.
“This match holds immense importance for Indian football and aligns perfectly with our vision to develop the sport in Delhi and across the nation. We believe that hosting such prestigious events will not only boost the morale of our players but also encourage more people to engage with football,” Football Delhi’s president Anuj Gupta said.
The AIFF is yet to announce the venues for India's home matches in the second round of the qualifiers, which will also include games against Kuwait and the winner of a play-off between Afghanistan and Mongolia. India are placed in Group A along with these teams and Qatar, who are the reigning Asian champions and hosts of the FIFA World Cup 2022.
India will start their qualification campaign against Kuwait on November 16, 2023, while their final match will be against Qatar on June 11, 2024. The top two teams from each group will advance to the third round of the qualifiers, while the third-placed teams will enter a play-off round and the fourth-placed teams will be eliminated.