Anirudh Thapa is ready to end his two-year hiatus from international football as India prepare for an ambitious FIFA international window featuring high-profile friendlies against Panama, five-time FIFA World Cup winners Brazil, and two-time champions Uruguay. The 28-year-old Mohun Bagan midfielder last represented his country in September 2024 against Mauritius in the Intercontinental Cup. Now, as the Blue Tigers prepare to host three nations that featured at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Thapa believes the squad must strike a delicate balance between national pride and total focus on the pitch.
The international schedule kicks off at Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium on September 25 against Panama, before moving to the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata for showpiece encounters against Brazil on October 3 and Uruguay on October 6. For Thapa, operating in central midfield against world-class opposition on home soil represents a landmark opportunity. He admitted that talking about facing such footballing royalty gives the squad goosebumps in camp. However, the Mariner insisted that emotional weight must disappear at kickoff, reiterating that once players cross the touchline, the reality of football simplifies to eleven against eleven.
Tactically, surviving and competing against South American heavyweights requires absolute organizational perfection. Thapa highlighted composure, discipline, and defensive compactness as mandatory prerequisites across the full 90 minutes. Facing teams capable of exploiting microscopic spaces with blistering ball movement means communication between India’s midfield and defensive lines will prove massive. Minimizing unforced errors will be a vital benchmark for progress, with the midfielder urging his teammates to fight for the badge, maintain their unit structure, and push back against opponents designed to force mistakes.
This challenging home schedule is part of an expanded global footprint for the national team. India are also scheduled to travel to New Zealand for two friendly matches against the host nation on November 12 and November 15, alongside a historic return to English soil after 24 years to take on Jamaica in the Unity Cup 2026. For Thapa, the ultimate objective remains long-term growth and absorbing tactical lessons that only elite fixtures can provide. Calling on supporters to fill the venues in Bengaluru and Kolkata, he urged fans to rally behind the Blue Tigers during this rare occasion to test themselves against global royalty.
