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India face another stern test just three days after their 0-4 loss to Brazil, with Uruguay awaiting in Kolkata.
Indian men’s football team will take on Uruguay (Picture credit: X @IndianFootball)
Kolkata, October 5: India face the tough task of taking on two-time FIFA World Cup winners Uruguay just three days after suffering a 0-4 loss to Brazil on Sunday, October 3. The team management has admitted that there hasn’t been enough time for the Indian footballers to fully recover ahead of the next challenge.
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s India will take on Jose Maria Gimenez’s La Celeste in a one-off friendly in Kolkata on Tuesday. Still, the short turnaround from the Brazil match presents a challenge.
Uruguay has built a reputation for their aggressive high press and ability to regain possession quickly. During FIFA World Cup qualifying, they registered 147 high turnovers, 26 more than any other South American team.
Back at it. 💪🏻#BlueTigers #IndianFootball https://t.co/dvgwTfkKGe
— Indian Football (@IndianFootball) October 4, 2026
That could pose a challenge for India, especially with limited recovery time. The Blue Tigers were outpaced by Brazil and while Uruguay may no longer be at their peak, they might still push the hosts into playing at a much higher tempo.
“After the last game, we had less recovery time. I think Uruguay are a strong team. They are very good,” India head coach Khalid Jamil said while speaking at the pre-match press conference.
India left-back Akash Mishra also acknowledged the short recovery period but insisted that the footballers were ready to rise to the demands of the international window.
“I feel after the last game, we have very little time to prepare for Uruguay. I think as a team, we as footballers, we don’t have to sit down with the results, think too much about what happened in the past,” Mishra said.
Uruguay Arrive Amidst Generational Shift
Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani were the defining forwards of Uruguay’s golden generation. The latter retired from international football after the 2022 FIFA World Cup, while Suárez called time on his international career in 2024.
Their departures have left Uruguay without the same level of proven goalscoring experience and that was visible when they finished third in their group at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, losing to eventual champions Spain and drawing against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia.
Marcelo Bielsa left the Uruguay job in June, three days after the team’s final group-stage match, while the football federation appointed former national team player Diego Forlan as his successor in August.
Forlan, who won the 2011 Copa América with Uruguay, took over as the new head coach.
Forlan’s first international outing ended in a 1-3 loss to Japan, but Uruguay bounced back with a commanding 4-1 victory over South Korea. They will now look to sign off their friendly tour on a high with another win against India, although Forlan’s team will be keen to ‘respect’ India.
“Like I said, you have to be careful. We saw the other day, I think in the 20th or 30th minute, plus something, the goal of Brazil. But you could see some combinations, some long balls and some good players that, if you give them time and space, can damage you and play well,” Forlan said.
“So you have to respect everybody. We know it isn’t going to be easy. Playing here, the weather is humid. You also need to adapt. That is why all these days that we came here were good for us to adapt,” Forlan added.
Three days after a heavy loss to Brazil, India will return to the field in Kolkata with little time to recover. Uruguay, meanwhile, are also going through a period of change under a new coach and with a new generation of footballers, giving both teams plenty to prove.
For the Blue Tigers, it’s another difficult challenge but also an opportunity to bounce back. Under the lights in Kolkata, how India respond to the Brazil loss could be just as important as the result.
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Ask News18India will face Uruguay in a one-off international friendly match in Kolkata on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, also known as the Salt Lake Stadium.
Ask News18Kolkata [Calcutta], India, India
October 05, 2026, 19:41 IST
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