Brazil were game for a second friendly in India, but it did not materialise due to the non-availability of a good football stadium.
Carlo Ancelotti’s boys will play an international friendly against India at the Salt Lake Stadium on October 3. Before that, the five-time World Cup winners will play a couple of international friendlies against Australia.
The 2026-27 season’s first international window starts on September 21 and ends on October 6.
“Yes, plans were afoot after Brazil showed interest in playing another match in India and Uruguay could have been the most likely opponents,” someone in the know of things told The Telegraph.
“The idea was to organise the match in Mumbai, but it had to be shelved since
DY Patil Stadium (in Navi Mumbai) was not available. It’s just that the timing was wrong,” the source added.
Last month, the National Green Tribunal had restrained three stadiums, including DY Patil, from carrying out any sports activity without its permission, saying they failed to respond despite notices from the Central Ground Water Authority and the tribunal regarding the use of groundwater.
Mumbai was on the radar since the financial capital of the country has fans with high purchasing power and they follow international football passionately.
Calcutta also has a huge following for Brazil and Argentina national teams, but there is always the headache of dealing with people who want free passes.
That is a problem for any organiser of high-profile football matches since raising money from ticket sales is an important part of making the event financially viable.
During the ill-fated Lionel Messi GOAT Tour last December, nearly one-third of the Salt Lake Stadium was filled by freeloaders.
“People (in Mumbai) are ready to shell out ₹10,000 for a marquee event,” an organiser said.
The initial plan was to have an Argentina-Brazil friendly in India during the forthcoming
international window, but it hit a dead end.
Sources, however, said that a friendly between world football’s two most popular national teams will be held in India in the near future.
A weakened rupee, apart from the national team’s abysmally poor Fifa ranking (138), is also a major reason why India has not been able to attract big-ticket friendlies. It is different when, say, the UAE, with a world ranking of 68 and a robust currency, are the hosts.
Until the rupee gets stronger, India’s saleability as a destination for international friendlies will always suffer.