India to host Panama, Brazil, Uruguay in friendlies

The Indian men's national football team will host three World Cup-participating nations in a series of high-profile international friendlies during the upcoming FIFA window, beginning with a match against Panama in Bengaluru on September 26. The schedule, confirmed by the All India Football Federation, includes subsequent fixtures against five-time world champions Brazil on October 3 and two-time champions Uruguay on October 6, both in Kolkata. The AIFF described the lineup as an unprecedented run of international football for Indian fans, with Panama, Brazil, and Uruguay all visiting the country within the same FIFA match window from September 21 to October 6. The federation noted that a country can play a maximum of four matches during this period. The first match will see India face Panama at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on September 26. This fixture marks the team's return to the venue since the 2023 SAFF Championship, which India won on home soil after defeating Kuwait in the final at the same stadium. Panama, ranked 44th in the world, competed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they were eliminated in the group stage after losses to Ghana, Croatia, and England.