Biggest national football teams to have played in India
The Blue Tigers will host the five-time World Cup champions Brazil in Kolkata.
The Indian football fraternity received some amazing news, with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) confirming that the Indian football team will be hosting the Brazil national team for an international friendly on October 3 (2026).
The match will be an international friendly match held at the Salt Lake Stadium (VYBK) in Kolkata, marking the first time that the five-time FIFA World Cup winners have played in India.
For many fans, especially those following the Brazilian players through various European clubs, this is a huge opportunity to watch world-class footballers live in action at their own home turf.
It will also serve as a major challenge for the Blue Tigers, and despite this only being a friendly match, the Selecao are unlikely to take it easy on Khalid Jamil’s side – who have a chance to show the entire world about their possible progression in international football.
With that being said, this isn’t going to be the first time that a major international football team will be playing in India.
There have been quite a few notable occasions in which some well-known teams have played in India, including matches against the Blue Tigers themselves.
Here, we look at the biggest national football teams to have played in India.
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Argentina
The Argentina football team have millions of supporters in India, with the popularity of the likes of Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi seeing their popularity soar over the decades. The three-time FIFA World Cup champions have played in India multiple times, with their first trip coming in January 1984.
Indeed, the South American giants featured in the Nehru Cup in 1984, with the majority of their 1986 FIFA World Cup winning squad also playing in the competition. Jorge Burruchaga, who played for Argentina in their 1986 World Cup winning heroics, also played in the 1984 Nehru Cup and even scored against the Romania U21 side.
Even though Argentina failed to reach the final of the Nehru Cup, they still won three of their five matches plus. Then, in 2011, Argentina played once again in India. They played in a friendly match against Venezuela in a match where Lionel Messi was the star of the show.
Even the likes of Angel di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi, who played for Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup success, played in the friendly held in front of 75,000 supporters at the Salt Lake Stadium!
Uruguay
Argentina aren’t the only FIFA World Cup winners to have played in India in the past. That is because the inaugural edition of the Nehru Cup also saw two-time FIFA World Cup champions Uruguay play in the country in the edition that was held in Kolkata.
A strong Uruguay side travelled to India to play in the first-ever Nehru Cup in Kolkata, with the squad even featuring their legendary midfielder Enzo Francescoli (the player who inspired Zinedine Zidane).
Francescoli actually scored their first goal of the tournament against the Yugoslavia B side, while other notable Uruguay international players like Jorge da Silva as well as Mario Saralegui also starred in the competition.
Uruguay were unbeaten en route to the final, where they picked up a comfortable 2-0 win over China thanks to goals from Da Silva and Carlos Nadal!
Also Read: Breaking: Brazil to play India in Kolkata on October 3
South Korea
The South Korea football team have been among the premier teams in the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) for many years, regularly playing in the FIFA World Cup since the 1980s as well. However, before they started gaining prominence in Asian football, South Korea actually played in India in the 1982 Nehru Cup as well.
They were among three Asian national teams to play in the competition, alongside hosts India as well as China. The South Korea side were actually able to go unbeaten in the competition, as they scored 10 goals (the second most in the competition), but only won one of their four matches!
Poland
The Poland football team were one of the premier sides in international football when they visited Kolkata (India) to play a part in the 1982 Nehru Cup. In a competition that also had other sides like Argentina, China and Romania U21, it was the Polish side that really stood through with their performances.
They defeated India in their opening match, with notable Polish forward Dariusz Dziekawnowski scoring in the game as well.
Poland won three of their five matches in the group stages to earn a place in the final, where they faced off against China. However, it was Poland that won the game thanks to a winner from Roman Wojcicki, helping them win the first-ever Nehru Cup in front of an 85,000-strong crowd in Kolkata.
Hungary
Even though they might not have been able to qualify for the last few FIFA World Cup editions, Hungary are still considered as one of the major football nations in & around the globe. Much of their dominance was actually in the 20th century, as they finished as the FIFA World Cup runners-up twice in 1938 and 1954.
Hungary also won the Olympic Gold Medal three times, and they were also a part of the 1991 Nehru Cup, where they arrived in India to play in the tournament.
Before that, the Hungary Olympic football team actually played in the competition before the main side arrived to play in the 1991 edition in Thiruvananthapuram.
They actually did pretty well in the competition, picking up a number of notable wins before reaching the final. However, it was in the final that they lost to Romania’s B side, finishing as the runners-up in the competition.
Cameroon
The Cameroon football team are widely considered as one of the best African national team, having a rich history behind them in the international football scene. They have won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) five times, as well as competing in the FIFA World Cup on many occasions.
Cameroon have also played in India on many occasions, especially in the Nehru Cup.
They finished as the third-place side in the 1983 and the 1993 Nehru Cup editions, producing some really solid performances. Moreover, Cameroon was actually involved in the last-ever Nehru Cup that was held in 2012.
They made it to the final, where the African side suffered a loss to hosts India on a penalty shootout and were unable to win the competition.
When will India play Brazil in the international friendly?
India will face Brazil in an international friendly on 3 October 2026 at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
Which major national teams have played in India before Brazil?
Some of the biggest national teams to have played in India include Argentina, Uruguay, South Korea, Poland, Hungary, and Cameroon.
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