Blue Tigresses to participate in FIFA Series 2026 in Kenya
New Delhi, March 24
The Indian senior women's team will participate in the FIFA Series 2026 Kenya during the April FIFA International Women's Match Window.
According to a release, the Blue Tigresses will face hosts Kenya in the semi-final on April 11 at 20:30 IST, while Australia and Malawi will play the other semi-final earlier that day at 16:30 IST. The semi-final winners and losers will clash in the final and the third-place play-off, respectively, on April 15.
Any match that ends in a draw will go straight to a penalty shootout, with no extra time. All matches will take place at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi. Among the four participants, India are the second-highest ranked side in the FIFA world rankings at 67th. Australia are ranked 15th, while Kenya and Malawi, the two African sides, are 133rd and 153rd, respectively.
Launched in 2024, the FIFA Series is an international friendly tournament that features national teams from separate confederations. The purpose of the FIFA Series is to facilitate meaningful friendly matches between national teams from different confederations that would not normally compete against one another. As per FIFA, the ultimate objective of the FIFA Series is to allow more international football interaction, making a concrete contribution to global football development.
FIFA Series 2026 Kenya Match Schedule:
Semi-final 1 -- 16:30 IST, April 11: Australia vs Malawi
Semi-final 2 -- 20:30 IST, April 11: Kenya vs India
Third-place match -- 16:30 IST, April 15
Final -- 20:30 IST, April 15 Venue: Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi, Kenya.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see our women's team getting these opportunities. The match timings are perfect for Indian viewers. 8:30 PM on a Friday? Perfect plan sorted! Let's hope they can beat Kenya and maybe even give Australia a tough fight.
Respectfully, while participation is good, I'm a bit concerned. We are ranked 67th and Kenya is 133rd. We should be winning this semi-final comfortably. If we don't, it will raise serious questions about our progress. No room for excuses.
As a football fan living in India, I love this initiative by FIFA. It's so important for development. The women's game needs more of these cross-continent friendlies. Best of luck to all four teams!
Jai Ho, Blue Tigresses! 🐯 Just seeing India's name alongside Australia in an international tournament feels great. The ranking gap is huge, but in football, anything can happen. At least we will learn a lot from playing them.
The direct penalty shootout rule for a draw is interesting. Adds pressure, but our girls have good temperament. Hope the broadcast is on a channel everyone can access. Doordarshan, are you listening?
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