After Panama and Brazil, AIFF adds THIS former World Champion to face India in upcoming international window

The national team will miss the chance to play in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, but it will instead get three matches against World Cup-level opposition at home

Published: August 29, 2026, 9:50 AM IST

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Players of Uruguay are seen before the group H match between Uruguay and Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Guadalajara Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, June 26, 2026(Photo: Xinhua via IANS)

Indian football is set for a busy schedule in the upcoming international window as the Blue Tigers will face three strong FIFA World Cup playing nations in the space of 10 daysAfter Panama and Brazil, two-time world champions Uruguay have now been added to the list.

India will face Panama on September 26 in Bengaluru before taking on five-time world champions Brazil at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on October 3Three days later, on October 6, Uruguay will arrive at the same venue for another high-profile friendlyThe three matches will form a demanding run for the Indian side during the FIFA international window.

Uruguay are two-time world champions, having won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930 and lifted the trophy again in 1950They are currently ranked 20th in the worldThe fixture will give Indian players a chance to test themselves against another established football nation after the much-anticipated Brazil game.

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India had initially been invited to take part in the first-ever FIFA ASEAN Cup, which was scheduled to be held in IndonesiaIndia were drawn alongside the hosts, Singapore and Malaysia.

AIFF initially planned to take part in the tournament while also playing Brazil, even considering separate squads for the two competitionsHowever, the plan was eventually dropped because of the clash in datesThe ASEAN Cup final was scheduled for October 4, while the Brazil friendly was fixed for October 3.

FIFA’s rules also doesn’t allow sending separate squads.

Instead of making their first appearance in the FIFA ASEAN Cup, AIFF chose the Brazil fixture and then began adding more international friendliesPanama was confirmed first, followed by UruguayPanama, ranked 44th in the world, also featured at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making the September 26 game another useful test for India.

The national team will miss the chance to play in the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, but it will instead get three matches against World Cup-level opposition at home.

The Brazil game will attract the biggest attention but Uruguay’s visit adds another important fixture to the calendarFor the players, these matches will be a chance to gain experience against teams with a much higher standing in world football.