India to host Uruguay in Kolkata international friendly on October 6, 2026
India will host Uruguay in an international friendly at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, in the final match of the current international window. The fixture follows India’s recent outing against Brazil as the hosts aim to finish the break with a positive result.
India head coach Khalid Jamil has described the squad’s recent displays as spirited after matches against Brazil and Panama, though the Blue Tigers go into the game described as underdogs against multiple-time World Cup winners Uruguay. The two nations have met once before, at the 1982 Nehru Cup, when Uruguay won 3-1, and India have not earned victory in their last two notable friendlies.
Tactically, India will be urged to remain compact and avoid errors at the back while attempting to exploit transitions; the side must be efficient on the counter-attack to challenge Uruguay’s defence. The result carries weight for the hosts: a win or a draw would be regarded as a notable accomplishment for India, while a heavy defeat would be a damaging outcome for the group.
Uruguay arrive under new manager Diego Forlan following their disappointing group-stage exit at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and a 4-1 victory over South Korea in this international break. Forlan’s squad are expected to focus on possession and chance creation, with the team aiming to score freely to improve morale ahead of their return home.
Team news: Khalid Jamil should have his entire squad available for selection against Uruguay, while Diego Forlan has selected a strong-looking Uruguay group but Federico Valverde is not part of the trip as he recovers from an injury suffered before the international window. Projected lineups named in the preview list India as: Prabhsukhan Gill (GK); Abhishek Singh, Anwar Ali, Pramveer Singh, Jay Gupta; Vikram Partap Singh, Lalengmawia Ralte, Anirudh Thapa, Mohammed Sanan; Ryan Williams, Manvir Singh. Uruguay’s projected lineup is listed as: Cristopher Fiermarin (GK); Guillermo Varela, Ronald Araujo, Mathias Olivera, Joaquin Piquerez; Emiliano Martinez, Rodrigo Bentancur; Brian Rodriguez, Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Maxi Araujo; Darwin Nunez.
Attackers to watch are India’s Ryan Williams and Uruguay’s Darwin Nunez. Williams scored in the draw against Panama and was a prominent attacking outlet against Brazil, with the preview noting he must sustain his momentum and be decisive in the final third. Nunez has started the 2026-27 season with three goals in five Saudi Pro League appearances for Al Diriyah and added a brace against South Korea in Uruguay’s recent 4-1 win.
The India v Uruguay friendly kicks off at 7:30 PM IST on Tuesday, 6 October 2026 at Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata; the match will be televised on Sony Ten 2 and streamed on Sony LIV.
