India withdraw from FIFA ASEAN Cup to prioritise Brazil friendly

India pulled out of the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup on Thursday, opting to prioritise a high-profile friendly against Brazil in October, AIFF deputy secretary general M Satyanarayanan said. The decision removes India from the FIFA-sanctioned tournament that would have matched them against Southeast Asian teams.

The ASEAN Cup was introduced as a new international competition for teams from the region, with India among the non-ASEAN nations invited to take part. India had initially accepted and were placed in Division 1 Group A alongside Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The tournament is scheduled during the FIFA international window from September 21 to October 6. India's confirmed fixture against Brazil on October 3 at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium created a scheduling conflict.

"We have pulled out of the FIFA ASEAN Cup since we can't play both Brazil and FIFA ASEAN Cup," Satyanarayanan told PTI. The AIFF had previously considered sending a separate or developmental squad to compete in the ASEAN Cup while keeping the senior team available, but the federation has now decided against that option and will instead use the international window to arrange friendly matches.

The Brazil fixture was officially announced last month and is set to be one of India's biggest international games in recent years. India are also reportedly looking at further friendly opportunities during the window; Cabo Verde and Iran have emerged as potential opponents, with both nations having featured at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, although neither fixture has been formally confirmed by the AIFF.

The withdrawal represents a change from the federation's earlier plans: India had accepted FIFA's invitation and completed the participation agreement before reversing course. The decision comes at a difficult period for Indian football, with the national team having failed to qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup and facing difficulties in consistently arranging matches against strong international opposition.

With the Brazil match on October 3 at Salt Lake Stadium already confirmed, the AIFF intends to maximise the September-October international window through additional friendly matches rather than committing to the inaugural ASEAN Cup. The federation has identified potential opponents but has not announced any further fixtures.