Archive · 14 Sep 2026
India's Thapa Says Friendlies Become 11 Against 11 On Pitch
Anirudh Thapa is returning to play for India’s football team.
India has three important friendly matches coming up.
The opponents are Panama, Brazil and Uruguay.
Brazil and Uruguay have both won the FIFA World Cup.
Thapa said these teams have very talented players.
He believes playing them in India is a special opportunity.
However, he said the excitement must stop when the matches begin.
Once the game starts, he says it is simply 11 players against 11 players.
Anirudh Thapa is set to return to India’s national team after a two-year absence.
India will play Panama in Bengaluru on September 25.
The team will face five-time World Cup champions Brazil in Kolkata on October 3.
India will meet two-time World Cup champions Uruguay in Kolkata on October 6.
Thapa called the matches a rare, potentially once-in-a-lifetime chance to face elite teams at home.
- Who
- India midfielder Anirudh Thapa and the Indian national team will play Panama, Brazil and Uruguay.
- What
- India is preparing for three high-profile FIFA international friendlies.
- When
- The matches are scheduled for September 25, October 3 and October 6.
- Where
- India will play Panama at Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium and Brazil and Uruguay at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.
- Why
- The fixtures give Indian players an opportunity to test themselves against elite opposition on home soil.
Treat Matches As Major Events
Treat Matches As Equal Contests
Approach to the Opponents
Treat Matches As Major Events
Brazil and Uruguay are world champions with world-class players, making the fixtures a rare opportunity for India.
Treat Matches As Equal Contests
Thapa believes the teams’ reputations should not dominate the players’ mindset once the matches begin.
Matchday Mindset
Treat Matches As Major Events
The high-profile friendlies offer Indian players an important chance to test themselves against elite opposition at home.
Treat Matches As Equal Contests
Despite the excitement and disparity in reputation, Thapa says each game ultimately comes down to 11 players against 11 players.
- Player
- Anirudh Thapa
- Return
- Thapa is set to return to India’s team after a two-year absence.
- Panama match
- September 25 at Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru
- Brazil match
- October 3 at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata
- Uruguay match
- October 6 at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata
- Brazil’s record
- Brazil are five-time FIFA World Cup champions.
- Uruguay’s record
- Uruguay are two-time FIFA World Cup champions.