New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced the rescheduling of the men’s international friendly between India and Panama on Sunday. The fixture which was set to happen on September 26 will now be played on September 25.
The highly anticipated match against the top side will be organised at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru. The fixture remains part of the FIFA Men’s International Match Window, with the Blue Tigers set to face 44th-ranked Panama, who featured at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
It will be the first-ever meeting between the two nations and only the ninth different CONCACAF side India has faced in their history. Panama, currently ranked 44th in the FIFA World Ranking, will provide the Blue Tigers with another opportunity to test themselves against a World Cup-playing nation.
The Los Canaleros featured at the FIFA World Cup 2026, making the September fixture, as of now, the first of four matches India will play against this summer’s World Cup nations in 2026, with Brazil to follow on October 3 and New Zealand on November 12 and 15.
Later, the Indian men’s national team is scheduled to travel to New Zealand for two friendly matches against the hosts on November 12 and 15, 2026, during the next FIFA international match window.
The first match will take place at the Go Media Stadium in Auckland, while the second will be held at the One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch. The matches were announced as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to New Zealand and will form part of a series of sporting events to celebrate ‘100 Years of Unity Through Sport’ between both nations.
India and New Zealand have faced each other on two previous occasions — a goalless draw in the 1981 Merdeka Tournament in Malaysia and a 2-1 victory for the visitors in the 2018 Intercontinental Cup in Mumbai.
New Zealand recently participated in the FIFA World Cup 2026, where they drew with IR Iran and lost to Egypt and Belgium.
(IANS)
