Press Conference Pictures BS News Agency.
Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency, Ahmedabad, India: The India U17 men’s team will begin their AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers campaign against Palestine on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad, at 19:30 IST. The match will be streamed live on plus.fifa.com. Tickets can be purchased here.
India arrive into the tournament after an extensive preparation phase, which included the SAFF U17 Championship title in September and two friendlies in China in October.
In the pre-qualifiers press conference, India head coach Bibiano Fernandes said, “We began building this team in August with SAFF as the first target. The exposure matches in China helped us understand the level required, and arriving in Ahmedabad early has helped us adapt to the conditions. We are prepared and looking forward to the games.”
The Blue Colts set up camp in Goa before travelling to Ahmedabad on November 1. They have been in the city for almost three weeks, training in local conditions and finalising their tactical plans for the four-match group stage, which also features Chinese Taipei, Lebanon and IR Iran. The group winners will qualify for the final tournament in Saudi Arabia next year.