India set foot in FIFAe Nations Cup 2022 for the first time ever.
The esports showpiece event is all set to be conducted in Copenhagen, Denmark this year, from 27-30 of July.
India beat Korea Republic and Malaysia in the FIFAe Nations Series 2022 playoffs to book their qualification.
The journey for the Indian efootball team started in January last year when All India Football Federation (AIFF) signed the participation agreement with FIFA for the FIFAe Nations Series 2021.
India was among 60 nations to take part and was placed in the Middle East & Africa Zone.
India concluded 3rd in its zone, closely missing out on a spot in the FIFAe Nations playoffs 2021.
India finished the season with a global ranking of 22 and ended above countries such as Italy, Argentina and Spain in the 2021 rankings.
For the 2022 edition, India was moved to Asia/Oceania region and was given a spot in the Play-Ins, which would give direct qualification to the Playoffs (the last stage ahead of the Nations Cup).
During the play-ins, India competed in 32 matches across 4 game weeks and got 12 victories, 11 losses and 9 draws.
With this, India prosperously qualified to the Playoffs by finishing 2nd in the Consistency Points chart, augmenting one step closer to the FIFAe Nations Cup 2022. During this period, India also secured its highest global ranking of 19.
Going into the Playoffs, the goal for India was easy. Win 2 games and book the spot at the showpiece event and that is exactly what they have done.