Uruguay beat India 6-1 in Kolkata friendly

India lost 1-6 to Uruguay at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata in an international friendly on October 6, 2026, after a second-half collapse overcame a competitive start against the two-time world champions. The host side had shown attacking intent early on but could not sustain defensive discipline as the match progressed.

Uruguay opened the scoring in the 11th minute when Federico Vinas was brought down inside the box and Darwin Nunez converted from the spot. India responded in the 22nd minute when Ryan Williams’ effort was parried by goalkeeper Thiago Cardozo and Anirudh Thapa reacted quickest to the rebound to score. India found openings in the final third at times, but their vulnerability on turnover of possession remained a recurring issue.

Play was interrupted by a 35-minute delay for lightning, and after the restart Rodrigo Bentancur released Nandez down the right; India failed to reorganise quickly enough and the full-back found Maxi Araujo, who finished clinically in the 28th minute to restore Uruguay’s lead. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu produced a notable save in the 37th minute to deny Nunez, but India went into the interval trailing 1-2 with attackers Edmund Lalrindika, Manvir Singh and Williams unable to convert their chances with the required precision.

Uruguay coach Diego Forlan made seven changes at half-time, including bringing on Lucas Torreira and Facundo Pellistri, a switch the report said added fresh quality and energy to his side. The substitutes and the team’s momentum paid off early in the second half: Rodrigo Zalazar scored in the 53rd minute and Maxi Araujo added his second in the 59th.

The rout continued as Juan Sanabria struck in the 71st minute and Rodrigo Aguirre completed the scoring in the 86th, with Uruguay repeatedly exploiting India’s inability to match their pace and intensity. India struggled to close spaces and recover defensive shape during transitions as Uruguay extended their lead.

India still created late chances after bringing on substitutes Mohammed Sanan and Sahal Abdul Samad, but both attempts were saved by Thiago Cardozo. The match finished India 1 (Anirudh Thapa 22) lost to Uruguay 6 (Darwin Nunez 11-pen, Maxi Araujo 28, 59, Rodrigo Zalazar 53, Juan Sanabria 71, Rodrigo Aguirre 86).