Bengaluru will host the upcoming international friendly between India and Panama on Saturday, September 26, the All India Football Federation confirmed on Thursday. The match will be played at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.
The match will be the Blue Tigers’ first outing in Bengaluru since their triumphant SAFF Championship 2023 campaign, when India lifted the title on home soil by beating Kuwait in the final at the same venue.
Panama, ranked 44th in the world, will offer India a stern test, with the Central American team having featured at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, adding further significance to the encounter.
It will be India’s first friendly against a FIFA World Cup-playing nation in a busy international period, coming one week before they take
on the five-time world champions Brazil in Kolkata on October 3.
Bengaluru has also been the setting for one of India’s notable victories over higher-ranked opposition, with the Blue Tigers beating the United Arab Emirates 1-0 in a 2001 FIFA World Cup qualifier despite the UAE being 54 places above them in the rankings.
25 years later, the city will once again host India against a highly ranked opponent.
NA Haris, vice president, AIFF and president of Karnataka State Football Association, said, “Bengaluru has always had a special relationship with Indian football and the atmosphere during the 2023 SAFF Championship, culminating in India lifting the title here, demonstrated the city’s passion and support for the national team.”
“Hosting another international match against a high-quality World Cup nation like Panama is a grand occasion for the city and an opportunity for football fans across Karnataka to come together and support the Blue Tigers once again,” Haris added.
“We are confident that Bengaluru will create another memorable atmosphere for the team,” Haris said.
It will be the first-ever meeting between India and Panama and only the ninth different CONCACAF team India have faced in their history.
