India’s national football team is set to face Panama in an international friendly at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday, September 25. This match is significant as it marks the first senior international encounter between the two nations. Under the guidance of coach Khalid Jamil, the Indian team will test their skills against a Panamanian side that recently competed in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, providing a challenging benchmark for the players.
The match will kick off at 7:30 PM IST. The game was originally scheduled for September 26 before being brought forward by a day. They qualified for the 2026 tournament unbeaten, winning seven and drawing three of their 10 qualifying matches while scoring 19 goals.
It nevertheless remains the opening assignment in a formidable sequence for India, who are also due to face Brazil on October 3 and Uruguay on October 6. It will be broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network and Sony Aath, while viewers can stream the game on Sony LIV. Tickets for the Bengaluru fixture have been made available through District. Panama also arrive with recent World Cup experience. Their World Cup campaign ended in the group stage after defeats against Ghana, Croatia and England, but they conceded only four goals across those three matches.
Christiansen acknowledged before the match that Panama would enter as favourites on paper, but the fixture offers India an opportunity to measure themselves against a side accustomed to facing significantly higher-ranked opposition.
The national team last played there during the 2023 SAFF Championship, remaining unbeaten across five matches on their way to the title. Their previous 14 such matches have produced two victories, two draws and 10 defeats.
We will react according to the situation,” the India head coach said ahead of the fixture. Jamil has nevertheless indicated that India will not approach the game merely as an exercise in containment. “We are playing against a strong team. But at the same time, you cannot defend every time. So, we will mix defence and attack. Kanteerava itself carries happier recent memories for India. India scored eight goals and conceded only twice during that tournament before defeating Kuwait on penalties in the final. Gurpreet, in particular, knows the venue intimately through his club career, while Williams also plays his domestic football there. Panama, however, represent a very different challenge from the teams India encountered during that SAFF campaign. Friday’s fixture will be India’s eighth different CONCACAF opponent and their 15th match against a team from the confederation.
