Indian Men’s vs Women’s Football Team: Which side has a greater chance of being chosen for the Asian Games 2026?

The countdown to the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, Japan (Sept 19 – Oct 4) has already started, and the focus in Indian football is once again on whether the men’s and women’s teams will be cleared to play.

The Sports Ministry’s latest guidelines underline that only those sides with medal-winning potential will be considered. For team sports like football, the benchmark is clear: either a top-8 finish in the last Asian Championship or a top-8 continental ranking at least 10 days before final squad submission.

The Men’s Challenge: Outside The Cut-Off

The Indian national men’s football team has a long way to go. The team is currently ranked 134th in FIFA (and 24th in Asia) as of September 2025. In addition to this, the team was also eliminated in the Asian Cup at the group stage, highlighting the extent to which the team has yet to reach the top echelon of Asian teams.

In 2018, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) stopped the team from competing overseas because of performance levels. In 2023, the team was denied clearance to compete until the very last minute, when an exemption was granted to allow the team to compete in Hangzhou, where they were eliminated in the Round of 16 with a ninth-place finish overall.

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Unless the results drastically change in the next year, specifically in AFC qualifiers or other years, it seems pretty unlikely that the men’s squad will be able to qualify for the ministry’s very strict procedures for funding.

Women’s Team: A Realistic Pathway

The position of the Indian women’s team is now improved. They are rated as 12th in Asia.

The next AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 will be held in March in Australia, and it is important to reach the quarterfinals. Provided that India has obtained a quarterfinals or better result in this tournament, they would be eligible to be taken into account in the top 6 teams that would qualify for the next World Cup. The fact that they are qualified to compete in this tournament in the first half of 2025 is a welcome change and shows that the team has advanced over the past few years.

The women’s team has also shown signs of consistency, at a regional level, unlike the men, and this consistency was made possible by the establishment of a domestic platform through the Indian Women’s League (IWL) and successful clubs such as Gokulam Kerala FC.

The Relaxation Clause: A Silver Lining?

While the ministry’s circular is strict, Rule 5 offers some hope. It states that if experts from a sport — along with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) — recommend participation with justifiable reasons, the ministry may grant an exemption.

This clause was the basis of the men’s last-minute entry in 2023. However, officials have stressed that the Asian Games 2026 are not meant for “just participation” but for “aiming for excellence”. That means relying on the relaxation clause alone would be risky for the men’s side.

Men vs Women — Side By Side

What To Watch Before Asian Games 2026?

• Men: Any ranking boost through friendlies or surprise runs in qualifiers.
• Women: Asian Cup results in Australia will be decisive.
• Policy: Whether the Sports Ministry again uses its discretionary powers, as it did in 2023.

Outlook: Who’s Ahead?

With the current form and policy, the women’s football team has a higher chance of making it to Nagoya 2026. Their appearance in the Asian Cup will give them a direct chance to meet the performance standard, and the men would require a major boost in rankings or more government favors.

By September 2025, the odds are clearly in favour of the ladies, which will not only be a positive sign of their achievements on the pitch but also an indication of how far the Indian men’s football still has to go.

Writer’s Take:

The debate about India’s participation in the 2026 Asian Games was never just about how we rank players – it is reflective of where our sport is in the global discussion. I am hopeful the ministry’s firm line on only letting teams that can compete will ultimately spur federations to spend on player development that is longer-term in nature. For fans, the women’s national team allows them a sliver of hope to stay engaged in our game, as their journey to the Asian Cup is in part about establishing India’s trajectory to 2026. The men’s team, on the other hand, was just handed their reality check. My position is that if India has ambitions to show actual progress as a footballing nation in Nagoya, the stage most legendary to change from the pitch should be the women’s team.

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