Indian football team arrives in London for Unity Cup 2026
New Delhi, May 25
The Indian senior men's national team, with 17 players, arrived in London on Sunday ahead of their participation in the Unity Cup 2026.
The Blue Tigers departed from Bengaluru in the wee hours of Sunday morning to travel to the English capital for what would be their first match on British soil since 2002. Khalid Jamil's side had assembled in Bengaluru on May 22, a day after the conclusion of the Indian Super League 2025-26.
However, Mohun Bagan Super Giant recalled their players from the national camp on May 23.
Following their last-minute withdrawal, India travelled with the remaining 17 players to London. Goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari is travelling separately and will arrive on Monday.
India (136th in FIFA rankings) will play Jamaica (ranked 71st) in the second semi-final on May 27 midnight (May 28 in IST), while Nigeria (ranked 26th) take on Zimbabwe (ranked 130th) in the first semi-final at the same time a day earlier. The two losing teams will play the third-place play-off on June 30. All matches will take place at The Valley, home of Charlton Athletic FC. The matches will be streamed live on FanCode.
India's 18-member squad for Unity Cup 2026:
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Hrithik Tiwari (to arrive on Monday), Albino Gomes.
Defenders: Rahul Bheke, Nikhil Poojary, Roshan Singh Naorem, Sandesh Jhingan, Akash Mishra, Bijoy Varghese, Pramveer.
Midfielders: Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Noufal PN, Ricky Shabong.
Forwards: Ryan Williams, Edmund Lalrindika, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rahim Ali, Farukh Choudhary.
Unity Cup 2026 Schedule:
Semi-final One
Tuesday, May 26, 19:30 BST (00:00 IST, May 27): Nigeria v Zimbabwe
Semi-Final Two
Wednesday, May 27, 19:30 BST (00:00 IST, May 28): Jamaica v India
Final and Third-place Play-off
Saturday, May 30.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, kya hi expect karein? Rank 136 vs 71. Lekin at least India ka exposure milega. Main concern hai ki ISL ke baad players thak gaye hain, aur yeh withdrawal issues team ki preparation ko affect karte hain. Khalid Jamil sahab ko kuch magical karna padega.
All the best to the team! London mein khelna exciting hai, aur matches Charlton Athletic ke stadium mein hain - that's iconic! 🎉 Humein apne players ko support karna chahiye chahe result kuch bhi ho. Jeakson and Chhangte se umeed hai! 🇮🇳✨
Mohun Bagan ka decision unfortunate hai. Players ko national duty se pehle kyun bulaya? Federation aur clubs ke beech coordination kharab hai. Phir bhi, 17 players ke saath bhi humein haar nahi maanna. Jeet possible hai agar defense solid rahe.
Great to see India playing in London again! It's been way too long since 2002. The Unity Cup is a great platform for exposure. Nigeria and Jamaica are tough opponents, but India's young squad will learn a lot from this experience. Excited for the matches! ⚽🌍
Slightly worried about the squad depth - 18 players mein bhi goalkeeper Hrithik Monday tak nahi pohoch raha
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