FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait highlights: Sunil Chhetri finishes without scoring

In his last appearance for India, the 'captain, leader, legend' Sunil Chhetri couldn't score and neither could India and Kuwait with the match ending 0-0, India's chances of qualification diminishing

9:21 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait Updates: Sunil Chhetri bids tearful adieu

 

He walks around the ground, all the four corners of the Salt Lake Stadium where he played for both the big clubs the East Bengal and the Mohun Bagan. He thanks the crowd which sports his parents and his wife and then the best among the Indians to have played the beautiful game, bids adieu to it with 94 goals in 151 appearances. 

 

That is it from the game. India has a chance numerically even as they take against the best Asian side Qtar in their last Round 2 game. 

 

9:18 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE Updates: It ends in a draw

 

90 Minutes 

 

Full-Time

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

Brandon is on the ball again with probably the last chance for India and he disappoints big time.  The match eventually ended in a draw 0-0.

 

9:01 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE Updates: Yellow card for Edmund

 

90+ Minutes 

 

Second Half

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

Bout of wrestling played between Edmund, who is the first I-league player to get a chance to play for India in the last five years and Sultan of Kuwait, He gets a yellow card. 

 

8:58 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE Updates: 7 minutes added

 

90 Minutes 

 

Second Half

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

Seven minutes agave been added here and Rahim Ali once again had a great chance, but just could not flick the ball into the goal. 

 

8:48 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE Updates: 10 minutes for India to do something

 

80 Minutes 

 

Second Half

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

India now has only 10 minutes of regulation time to try and score and make their way to the third round where they could get to play top-quality Asian sides and have a go at the World Cup qualification chance as well. 

 

8:42 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE Updates: Sigh of relief for India

 

74 Minutes 

 

Second Half

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

That right there could have been a penalty but the referee was right there where the tackle by Anwar Ali was made inside the D. He did not blow the whistle and that means India could have a sigh of relief. 

 

8:36 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE Updates: Period of lull

 

65 Minutes 

 

Second Half

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

The pace is once again slowing down here just like in the first half of the match. After the initial 20 minutes, a lull and India, being the home team and the one which is down in terms of placing in the group stage, must try and break it with a score. 

 

8:21 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE Updates: Free Kick for India

 

55 Minutes 

 

Second Half

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

Free Kick coming in for India and it is Barandon on the ball. He fails to make a good account of himself. Brandon replaced Sahal Abdul Samad and Rahim Ali Aniruddh Thapa at half-time. 

 

8:19 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE Updates: End to End stuff again

 

53 Minutes 

 

Second Half

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

The game is heating up and it is now end-to-end stuff at the moment, if India is making a chance through Rahim Ali, who came in as a substitute then Kuwait is also making Sandhu work hard in the Indian goal. 

 

8:14 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE Updates: Big save from Gurpreet, Rahim Ali misses

 

47 Minutes 

 

Second Half

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

Gurpreet Singh put in a great save and at the other end, Rahum Ali was one-on-one with the Kuwaiti keeper but just wasn't able to beat him. 

 

8:12 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE Updates: Second Half begins

 

46 Minutes 

 

Second Half

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

The second half begins and India is now attacking right to left. 

 

7:57 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE Updates: Stats analysis of first-half

 

45+4 Minutes 

 

Half-Time

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

Here's what the stats say at the end of the first half. 

 

7:56 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE Updates: It's half-time in Kolkata

 

45+4 Minutes 

 

Half-Time

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

The first half has come to an end in the Sunil Chhetri farewell match. The Indian team looked poised to score on various occasions but missed the chances. They must rectify those mistakes in the second half to make sure that they come out as the winners. 

 

7:51 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE Updates: 4 minutes added

 

45 Minutes 

 

First Half 

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

Four minutes have been added in the first half as injury time. India had a chance with Chhangte from the right-wing, but it was converted into a corner and in the end, it was not even a shot on goal for India. 

 

7:48 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE Updates: India dominate proceedings

 

43 Minutes 

 

First Half 

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

Here's what the numbers say 

 

7:43 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE updates: India must score

 

38 Minutes 

 

First Half 

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

The Indian team must know that a draw is not going to be enough for them to reach the third round of the World Cup qualifier. They must win and for that, they must score as the first half comes to a close here.

 

7:37 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE updates: Water Break

 

31 Minutes 

 

First Half 

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

The first weather break in this game ahs been taken at 31 minutes and India must now make sure that they convert their chances. They have so far five shots on goal, but one on target. 

 

7:35 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE updates: Side netting from Colaco

 

29 Minutes 

 

First Half 

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

Liston Colaco had the best chance of the game so far but Colaco known for his 'gaolasos', failed to convert that shot in the goal and hit the side netting on the near post. 

 

7:31 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE updates: End-to-end stuff

 

25 Minutes 

 

First Half 

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

While there was a chance for Kuwait near the Indian goal, India countered and Jay Gupta provided a great ball from the left wing, but the Kuwaiti defence was very alert. They also saved a shot from Anwar Ali.  

 

7:25 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE updates: What do the numbers say?

 

20 Minutes 

 

First Half 

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

The last six minutes have not produced a lot of chances and the game has been slow for the most part. Here's how the two teams shape up after the first 20 minutes. 

7:19 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE updates: Chhangte misses target

 

14 Minutes 

 

First Half 

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

It was a great move from Nikhil Poojary at the right win and he made sure that the ball landed right in front of the Kuwait D to Chhangte and the latter missed the target. 

 

7:17 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE SCORE updates: First chance for India

 

10 Minutes 

 

First Half 

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

The first chance for India came and Liston Colaco did his best to pass it on to Sunil Chhetri. He tried to go for the gaol but hit over it. On the first set-piece,  a corner, Anwar Ali went for the header but was off target. 

 

7:14 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE updates: Save from Gurpreet

 

08 Minutes 

 

First Half 

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

The number nine of the Kuwait team has been causing a lot of problems for the Indian team and he draws yet another save from Gurpreet. 

 

7:10 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE updates: Kuwait miss a big chance

 

03 Minutes 

 

First Half 

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

Wow, this was as big a chance as Kuwait would have liked to get in the first five minutes of the match, but number of nine of Kuwait made a mess of it and hit the side netting. 

 

7:04 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE updates: Ready for the start

 

00 Minutes 

 

First Half 

 

IND 0-0 KUW

 

We are ready for the kickoff after a minute's silence for Anil Kamath. 

 

6:53 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE updates: India's starting Line-Up is out

 

A look at those who start the game for India

 

6:46 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE updates: When Chhetri helped India win Nehru Cup

 

The Nehru Cup title win

 

India won the title for the first time in 10 years after Sunil Chhetri scored four goals in the tournament and provided the much-needed assist to Pradeep's goal in the final against higher-ranked Syria to lift the cup.

 

6:43 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE updates: Sunil Chhetri's first goal

 

The first strike at Quetta

 

Chhetri made his debut against Pakistan in 2005 and struck in his first game against the arch-rivals at the Ayub Stadium in Quetta. From that moment, he never looked back

 

6:34 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE updates: Why is Sunil Chhetri Farewell Game so Important?

 

Apart from it being the farewell game of the third-highest active goal scorer in world football behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, it is an important game for India's road to AFC Asian Cup and Fifa World Cup 2026.

 

India is currently ranked second in Group A of Round 2 behind Qatar. They have four points, as does Afghanistan. Kuwait, on the other hand, has three points. India won against Kuwait away from home and then lost to Qatar at home.

 

However, the most painful for the Indian side was two matches against Afghanistan. While they drew in Saudi Arabia in an away fixture, the Blue Tigers were beaten at home in Guwahati, which jolted their campaign.

 

Therefore, only a win against Kuwait can now save them and take them to Round 3.

 

6:32 PM

FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier, India vs Kuwait LIVE updates: What India must do to qualify?

 

India will have to finish in the top two in the second and third rounds of the qualifiers to seal a spot in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

If India finishes in the top two of the second round and fails to make it to the top two in the next round. 

 

India will have to be a group winner in the fourth round to secure a spot.

If India fails to make the cut for the 4th round, they will have to win their match in the fifth round to qualify for the inter-confederation play-off. A win in the play-off will secure a World Cup spot for the Blue Tigers.