The Nations League is expected to provide more matches for and it will hugely benefit the Indian football team as well
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Team India pose for photographs before the start of the FIFA International friendly match between India and Brazil at Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Saturday, October 3, 2026(Photo: IANS/Kuntal Chakrabarty)
The Asian Football Confederation is working on plans to introduce a Nations League for national teams based in the continent and it will be a move that could change the way World Cup and Asian Cup qualification is played across the region.
According to a proposal reported by ESPN, the competition could begin with a pilot edition in 2028-29 before the main tournament gets underwayThe plan would divide Asia’s 47 member associations into three divisions, with 18 teams in each of the top two tiers and 11 teams in the third.
The competition is expected to use existing FIFA international windowsThis would give Asian teams regular fixtures against opponents at a similar level instead of relying heavily on friendly matches.
The AFC had already announced its intention to introduce a Nations League, saying the competition would help provide national teams with more consistent access to high-quality matchesThe governing body also pointed to rising costs, limited availability of opponents and problems with arranging international fixtures as reasons behind the plan.
The new system could also have a direct connection with qualification for major tournaments.
For World Cup-aligned editions, the proposal would see the top teams in the first division compete for direct qualificationThe top six would earn automatic World Cup places, while teams finishing seventh to 10th would enter a playoff for the remaining qualification spotsPromotion and relegation between the divisions would also be part of the system.
For the Asian Cup, the format would provide another route to the continental tournamentThe proposal would allow all first-tier teams and the top six from the second tier to qualify automatically.
How it will benefit India?
The Nations League could be useful for India, mainly because of the number of competitive matches it would provide.
India have often struggled to arrange strong opposition during FIFA windowsA structured competition would mean more matches against teams that are closer to India in the Asian rankingsInstead of playing friendlies with limited stakes, India would have points, promotion and qualification places to fight for.
It could also help India prepare better for World Cup and Asian Cup qualificationThe Indian team missed out on the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers after losing 2-1 to Qatar in Doha.
India also failed to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup after finishing their final-round group campaign with five pointsSingapore topped the group and took the only qualification spot.
Regular competitive games could give younger Indian players more international experience while allowing the coaching staff to test different combinations against teams of similar strength.
The proposal is still being worked on and the AFC is expected to discuss the format with its member associations before finalising the details.
If introduced as planned, the Nations League could give India a more regular and meaningful international schedule while creating another path towards Asia’s biggest tournaments.
