India are also slated to take on five-time world champions Brazil in a first-ever friendly match on October 6
Published: August 25, 2026, 9:14 PM IST
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AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey with AIFF Vice President NAHaris and Senior Men’s National Team Head Coach Khalid Jamil address a press conference of the All India Football Federation (AIFF)(Credits: IANS)
India are set to host Panama in an international friendly on September 26 during the FIFA men’s international window, the All India Football Federation announced on TuesdayThe venue for the match will be confirmed later.
The game will be the first meeting between India and Panama at the senior international levelIt will also be only the ninth different opponent from the CONCACAF region that India have faced.
Panama will provide a strong test for Khalid Jamil’s side, with the Central American nation currently ranked 44th in the latest FIFA rankingsPanama also featured at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making the fixture an important opportunity for India to test themselves against a side that has competed at the highest level.
The match against Panama is set to be the first of a series of games against teams that featured at the 2026 World CupIndia are also scheduled to face Brazil on October 3, while two matches against New Zealand are planned for November 12 and 15.
AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan said the Panama fixture would give the Indian players valuable exposure ahead of the much-anticipated Brazil game.
“Playing against Panama will be a tough battle ahead of the Brazil gamePanama are a top-50 team in the world, and it will be a good test for Khalid Jamil’s boys,” Satyanarayan said.
He added that India do not often get the chance to play against teams that have appeared at the World Cup and said the upcoming FIFA window would provide the players with the right level of competition.
“We are looking forward to our players getting the right exposure, and we normally don’t get to play such World Cup teamsSo it’s a good FIFA window for us, where we are playing such tough teams,” he said.
The Panama game comes after India gave up the opportunity to feature in the first edition of the FIFA ASEAN CupInstead, the Blue Tigers will use the international window to play a series of high-level friendlies.
The match against Brazil on October 3 is expected to attract major attention, with the five-time world champions offering India another chance to face one of the world’s strongest football nations.
For Jamil, the upcoming fixtures will also provide an opportunity to assess his squad against different styles and levels of oppositionPanama’s physical approach and experience of playing at the World Cup should make the September 26 contest a demanding one.
India will then face Brazil before taking on New Zealand twice in NovemberThe run of fixtures gives the Blue Tigers a busy international schedule and a chance to gain experience against teams with recent World Cup exposure.
