India have been drawn in Group A of Division 1 for the inaugural FIFA Asean Cup 2026 following the tournament draw held on Wednesday.
The Blue Tigers will take on hosts Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia in the group stage. Group B features Pakistan, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. All Division 1, also known as Premier Division, group-stage matches will be played in Indonesia.
Division 2 or the Challenge Division comprises six teams. These teams are Hong Kong, Myanmar, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia and Timor Leste. They have been split into two groups, with Hong Kong set to host all of the matches.
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The FIFA Asean Cup was unveiled by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in 2025 as part of an initiative to accelerate football development across Southeast Asia. The inaugural edition is scheduled to be held during the FIFA international window from September 21 to October 6, 2026.
The new competition will run alongside the biennial Asean Championship, which has been contested since 1996. Thailand are the tournament's most successful nation, having lifted the title a record seven times.
Among the 14 participating teams across the two divisions of the Asean Cup, Indonesia is the only team that has featured at the FIFA World Cup. It achieved the feat at the 1938 World Cup when it was a Dutch colony and was referred to as Dutch East Indies.
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