Panama Football Federation confirms FIFA friendly against India, officially to be announced soon
Panama will be travelling to India for the first time to play a FIFA friendly. The match is set to take place likely in September, ahead of India's much-anticipated clash against Brazil.
The Indian men's national team are set to play Panama in the FIFA friendly in September in the upcoming international window - September 21 to October 6. The development came on Monday after TOI reported that the All India Football Federation (AIFF) signed a letter of intent with Panamanian Football Federation for an international friendly at home.
The Panamanian Football Federation will hold a press conference later on the day to announce the same. “Today the Panamanian Football Federation announced that match (vs India),” people familiar with the developments told Livemint. Notably, Panama recently played at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The FIFA friendly against Panama came as a compensation after the AIFF withdrew from the Asean Cup due to the clash of dates with India vs Brazil clash. The FIFA Asean Cup 2026 starts on September 24, with the final to be held on October 3. In case, India would have qualified for the final, it would clash dates with the Brazil clash at the iconic Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata.
Post the FIFA friendlies against Brazil and Panama, India will travel to New Zealand for two more away games in November, thus giving the Blue Tigers a perfect platform to play four times against national teams that featured in the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The official announcement on the Panama vs India clash will be made later on the day.
How Panama fared in 2026 World Cup?
Ranked 44 in the world, Panama were placed alongside the likes of England, Croatia and Ghana in Group L. They lost to Ghana and Croatia by identical 0-1 margins. Against England, Panama lost 0-2, who are coached by Denmark-born Thomas Christiansen.
The clash against India will serve as a preparation for Panama who are set to travel to Japan to play in the four-nation Kirin Cup 2026. Hosts Japan, Ecuador (25) and New Zealand (86) are the three other teams in the Kirin Cup 2026 with the games to be played in Yokohama and Tokyo.
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Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.
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