India Set to Open International Football Window Against Panama
New Delhi — The Indian men’s football team will open a major international window with a friendly against Panama at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday.
The match will begin a challenging stretch for the Blue Tigers as they prepare to face several teams that competed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Panama, ranked 44th in the FIFA World Ranking, will be India’s first opponent before upcoming matches against Brazil and New Zealand.
The Bengaluru fixture will mark the first meeting between India and Panama and only the ninth time India has faced a team from the CONCACAF region.
Panama arrive after competing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and are known for their physical style, tactical discipline and ability to compete against strong international opposition.
For India, the match offers an opportunity to test the squad against a higher-ranked opponent while continuing to build cohesion and confidence.
India are also scheduled to face Brazil on Oct. 3 before traveling to New Zealand for two friendlies on Nov. 12 and Nov. 15.
The first match in New Zealand will be played at Go Media Stadium in Auckland, while the second will be held at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch.
The New Zealand matches were announced as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country and will be included in sporting events marking “100 Years of Unity Through Sport” between the two nations.
India and New Zealand have met twice previously. The teams played to a scoreless draw at the 1981 Merdeka Tournament in Malaysia, while New Zealand recorded a 2-1 victory at the 2018 Intercontinental Cup in Mumbai.
New Zealand also competed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, drawing with Iran and losing to Egypt and Belgium.
The India-Panama match will be broadcast on Sony Sports Network and Sony AATH, with streaming available on Sony LIV.
India Squad
Goalkeepers: Albino Gomes, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Som Kumar.
Defenders: Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Akash Mishra, Anwar Ali, Bijoy Varghese, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Jay Gupta, Pramveer, Ricky Meetei Haobam.
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Ashique Kuruniyan, Farukh Choudhary, Lalengmawia Ralte, Macarton Nickson, Mohammed Sanan, Ricky Shabong, Sahal Abdul Samad.
Forwards: Edmund Lalrindika, Irfan Yadwad, Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Ryan Williams, Vikram Partap Singh.
Head coach: Khalid Jamil.
Panama Squad
Goalkeepers: Orlando Mosquera, Marcos De Leon, Eddie Roberts.
Defenders: Cesar Blackman, Jorge Gutierrez, Jair Model, Amir Murillo, Omar Valencia, Martín Krug, Andres Andrade, Jose Cordoba, Jiovany Ramos, Joseph Jones, Eduardo Anderson.
Midfielders: Carlos Harvey, Adalberto, Cristian Martínez, Jose Luis Rodriguez, Victor Griffith, Daivis Murillo, Azarias Londono, Rafael Mosquera, Giovany Herbert.
Forwards: Jose Fajardo, Josue Vergara, Mijahir Jimenez, Tomas Rodriguez.
Head coach: Thomas Christiansen. (Source: IANS)
