Archive · 27 Aug 2026
Habas Supports India’s Brazil Friendly Despite Tournament Withdrawal
India’s football team is scheduled to play Brazil in a friendly match.
The game will take place at Salt Lake Stadium on October 3.
Brazil has won the World Cup five times.
To prepare for this match, the All India Football Federation decided not to send India to the Fifa Asean Cup in Indonesia.
Bhaichung Bhutia disagreed with that decision.
He said the federation was giving too much importance to the friendly.
Antonio Lopez Habas supported playing Brazil.
He said India can learn more by testing itself against very strong teams as well as weaker ones.
India will play five-time World Cup winners Brazil at Salt Lake Stadium on October 3.
The All India Football Federation withdrew India from the Fifa Asean Cup in Indonesia.
Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia criticized the decision to skip the tournament.
East Bengal coach Antonio Lopez Habas called the Brazil match a good sporting idea.
Habas said India should face both lower-ranked and much stronger opponents to improve.
- Who
- India, Brazil, the All India Football Federation, Bhaichung Bhutia, and Antonio Lopez Habas.
- What
- India will play Brazil in an international friendly after withdrawing from the Fifa Asean Cup.
- When
- The friendly is scheduled for October 3; the Fifa Asean Cup is scheduled for September-October.
- Where
- The friendly will be held at Salt Lake Stadium, while the Fifa Asean Cup is to be held in Indonesia.
- Why
- The AIFF wants India to test itself against a much stronger opponent, while critics object to skipping the tournament.
Supports Brazil Friendly
Criticizes Tournament Withdrawal
Prioritizing the Brazil match
Supports Brazil Friendly
Antonio Lopez Habas supports the friendly, calling it a very good idea from a sporting perspective and saying stronger opposition can promote growth.
Criticizes Tournament Withdrawal
Bhaichung Bhutia criticized the AIFF leadership for giving too much importance to the friendly while skipping the Fifa Asean Cup.
Choosing opponents
Supports Brazil Friendly
Habas said India should not only play teams such as Malaysia and Singapore, but also test itself against much stronger teams.
Criticizes Tournament Withdrawal
The criticism centers on the decision to withdraw from a scheduled tournament in order to accommodate the Brazil match.
- Match
- India vs Brazil international friendly
- Venue
- Salt Lake Stadium
- Match date
- October 3
- Brazil’s record
- Brazil are five-time World Cup winners
- Withdrawn tournament
- Fifa Asean Cup
- Tournament location
- Indonesia
- AIFF rationale
- To expose India to opponents of a much higher footballing level