ISL clubs’ contribution to India's Sep-Oct FIFA international window squad: A club-wise breakdown
India will play three matches in the September-October international window
The wait for the highly anticipated September-October FIFA international window is getting shorter as we enter September and edge closer to what could be one of the biggest events in Indian football in quite some time.
The Blue Tigers, who are currently languishing at 138th in the FIFA World Rankings, are set for three high-profile clashes, or, one could say, three completely mis-profiled games.
While Khalid Jamil and his men were preparing for the FIFA ASEAN Cup a month or so ago, things have changed drastically over the last 30 days. Kalyan Chaubey’s AIFF has made the highly debatable decision to opt out of the ASEAN Cup and instead organise three friendlies at home against teams that featured at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
First up is a clash against Panama on September 26 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, which will be followed by a trip to the east. The Blue Tigers will take on five-time World Cup champions Brazil on October 3, followed by a clash against Diego Forlan’s Uruguay on October 6.
This will arguably be the biggest test for Indian football, as the Blue Tigers prepare to face three teams ranked inside the top 50 of the global FIFA rankings, despite having struggled to score goals against teams ranked around or below them.
Nonetheless, this will be a huge treat for football fans across the country, who will get to watch their nation test itself against some of the biggest names in world football. And if the Blue Tigers are to give their hopeful supporters something positive to cheer about, the most important thing will be to work hard during the training camp and prepare in the best possible way to put up a strong fight.
Khalid Jamil and his boys will begin their preparations on September 14, when they convene in Bengaluru for the training camp ahead of the three games. The Indian national team head coach has announced a list of 26 players who will report for the camp and could potentially represent the tricolor in the upcoming fixtures.
From dropping senior players such as Rahul Bheke and Nikhil Poojary to making the major call to leave out Sandesh Jhingan and Vishal Kaith, Khalid Jamil has made some bold decisions while also calling up a few players whose inclusion could be questioned.
Let’s take a look at the club-wise breakdown of the probable squad for the September-October international window.
Mohun Bagan SG – 5 players
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Mohun Bagan Super Giants, who have had issues in the past with the national team over releasing players, lead the charts with the most players called up for this international window. Abhishek Singh, Manvir Singh, Anirudh Thapa and Apuia retain their place as they were part of the initial squad for the Unity Cup but were omitted from the final squad after the club refused to release its players.
Sahal Abdul Samad makes a return following his impressive Durand Cup performance, while Golden Glove winner Vishal Kaith and defender Rahul Bheke has been left out.
Bengaluru FC – 4 players
Bengaluru FC’s representation has gone down from five to four for this international window, with Nikhil Poojary & Naorem Roshan Singh being dropped. Bheke, however, has since left the club to join Mohun Bagan, and Roshan, however, has been named in the reserves.
Ashique Kuruniyan, who was part of India’s initial probables for the 2026 Unity Cup but later missed out on the final squad, makes a return. Ryan Williams is also back after recovering from the injury he suffered against Jamaica. India’s guardian Gurpreet Singh Sandhu retains his spot, while Ricky Meetei receives his maiden call-up after missing out on the Unity Cup squad due to visa issues.
East Bengal FC – 4 players
East Bengal FC, currently the most in-form club in Indian football following their recent Durand Cup triumph and qualification for the AFC Champions League Two, have four players called up for the upcoming camp in Bengaluru.
Anwar Ali, who missed the Unity Cup and the Tajikistan friendlies due to injury, is back and expected to lead the defence, while Edmund Lalrindika has retained his spot. Jeakson Singh misses out despite his recent impressive performances, while Prabhsukhan Gill and Jay Gupta make their returns to the Indian national team setup.
Mumbai City FC – 3 players
Although Mumbai City FC had four players representing India in the previous international window, that number has now dropped to three. Noufal and Chhangte have been omitted by Khalid Jamil, although the latter is no longer a Mumbai City player and has since moved to Mohun Bagan SG.
Akash Mishra keeps his place at left-back, while Vikram Pratap Singh retains his spot in attack. Valpuia makes a much-deserved return to the national team setup, with Mumbai City’s longest-serving player in the current squad offering much-needed stability, physicality and versatility at the back for Khalid Jamil.
Punjab FC – 3 players
Ricky Shabong, who earned his maiden call-up to the national team setup in the previous international window, retains his spot after impressing head coach Khalid Jamil with his performances in the middle of the park. Bijoy Varghese, who has been featuring for India since the Hong Kong game in Kochi, also retains his place.
There are no new additions from the club, although it was highly anticipated that players such as Muhammad Suhail and Nikhil Prabhu would receive call-ups after the duo resumed training following their recovery from injuries.
NorthEast United FC – 2 players
NorthEast United FC, who had no players called up in the initial Unity Cup probables, saw their representation increase to one when Louis Macarton Nickson was called up as a replacement to represent India for one of the Mohun Bagan midfielders.
Additionally, they now have their new signing Pramveer Singh, who was also part of the previous squad but was representing Punjab FC at the time.
Chennaiyin FC – 2 players
Despite the backlash surrounding Farukh Choudhary‘s selection in the previous Indian NT camp, Khalid Jamil has continued to call up the player for the upcoming games following his free-kick goal against Tajikistan. To be fair to Farukh, he was asked to perform the difficult role of playing in a midfield pivot, which is not his natural position.
Farukh, however, is no longer training with Chennaiyin FC, and his future remains unresolved at the moment. Irfan Yadwad makes a return to the squad after failing to even make the probables for the Unity Cup.
Odisha FC – 1 player
Rahim Ali continues to be Odisha FC’s only representative in the Indian national team setup, with the striker once again preferred by Khalid Jamil ahead of the likes of Suhail Bhat, Muhammad Ajsal, David Lalhlansanga, Parthib Gogoi and Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia.
ND Slovan – 1 player
The only Indian player plying his club football outside the country to be called up for the upcoming national team camp is Som Kumar, the former Kerala Blasters FC goalkeeper.
Som, who plays for ND Slovan in the Slovenian top flight, recently signed a contract extension with the club after impressing the club hierarchy during the second half of the previous season.
FC Goa – 0 players
One of the biggest surprises from the 26-member squad announced by Khalid Jamil was the omission of Sandesh Jhingan, India’s best defender over the past decade. While the omission of Rahul Bheke makes sense, dropping a leader and experienced veteran like Sandesh Jhingan makes little sense, especially when the team is about to face three opponents ranked significantly higher than them.
While Hrithik Tiwari, who was part of the previous squad, has left the club, someone like Tomba Singh, who was exceptional during the previous ISL season and his time with the Indian U-23 side, surely deserved a call-up.
Kerala Blasters FC – 0 players
Kerala Blasters continue to have zero representation in the Indian national team setup, with the club currently going through a difficult period off the pitch as they work to finalise a deal with new investors and get their first-team operations up and running.
Ebindas could have been an option for Khalid Jamil to consider as a backup for Sahal Abdul Samad, with the youngster having impressed last season with his chance-creation abilities.
Sporting Club Delhi – 0 players
Despite participating in the 2026 Durand Cup and making it to the semi-finals of the competition, Sporting Club Delhi continue to wait for one of their players to receive a call-up to the Indian national team setup.
Hnamte, Joseph Sunny, Len Gogou, Nora Fernandes and Aimen were among the players who impressed during the tournament, and at least one of them arguably deserved a call-up, especially considering their match fitness is likely to be much higher than that of some players who have not played a competitive game since the last ISL season or India’s game against Tajikistan.
Inter Kashi – 0 players
Much like Kerala Blasters FC, Inter Kashi’s current focus is on securing new investment for the upcoming season and building a competitive squad after losing a major chunk of their starting players.
Narender Gahlot, Nishchal Chandan, Sandip Mandi, Nishu Kumar, Tomba Singh, Rohit Danu and Asif Khan have all left the club, with four of them joining Habas at East Bengal FC.
While Jamshedpur has no longer has its first-team operations up and running, it still has two representatives, with both Albino Gomes and Mohammad Sanan retaining their places in Khalid Jamil’s squad.
While Albino is expected to serve as an understudy to Gurpreet, Sanan could have a bigger role to play following the omission of players such as Chhangte and Liston.
The future of both players remains one of the most talked-about topics in the final days of the summer transfer window, with clubs lining up to sign them. Both could potentially request an NOC and move on a free transfer.
India’s 26-member squad for the Sep-Oct international window:
Goalkeepers: Albino Gomes, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Som Kumar
Defenders: Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Akash Mishra, Anwar Ali, Bijoy Varghese, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Jay Gupta, Pramveer, Ricky Meetei Haobam
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Ashique Kuruniyan, Farukh Choudhary, Lalengmawia Ralte, Macarton Nickson, Mohammed Sanan, Ricky Shabong, Sahal Abdul Samad
Forwards: Edmund Lalrindika, Irfan Yadwad, Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Ryan Williams, Vikram Partap Singh.
India’s 2026 September-October International window schedule:
September 26: India vs Panama, Bengaluru
October 3: India vs Brazil, Kolkata
October 6: India vs Uruguay, Kolkata
What is India’s current FIFA ranking?
India are currently placed 138th in the FIFA global rankings.
Who will India play in the upcoming international window?
India will play three friendlies against the likes of Panama, Brazil and Uruguay.
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