India Qualify for AFC U20 Asian Cup After 20 Years
India have qualified for the AFC U20 Asian Cup for the first time in 20 years. Mahesh Gawali’s side beat Bangladesh 3–0 at the Do’stlik Stadium in Tashkent on 6 September 2026 and went through as one of the best runners-up.
The match
Danny Meitei Laishram opened the scoring in the 25th minute. Vishal Yadav added a second on the hour and Md Arbash sealed it in the 79th minute.
Group B table
| Pos | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uzbekistan | 9 |
| 2 | India | 6 |
Uzbekistan won the group. India’s six points were enough to make them one of the seven best runners-up across the eight groups.
What’s next
The finals take place in Hangzhou, China, from 24 March to 10 April 2027. Sixteen teams will compete, and the top four qualify for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup. India join Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the rest of the field. See the AFC U20 Asian Cup 2027 guide for the full list.
