India to host football friendlies against Brazil, Uruguay and Panama

The eastern Indian city of Kolkata will host heavyweights Brazil and Uruguay in international football friendlies against the host nation in October, the All India Football Federation said on Thursday.

The much-anticipated game against five-time world champions Brazil will be played at Kolkata's Salt Lake stadium on October 3.

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It will be followed by the clash with two-time World Cup winners Uruguay on October 6, in a remarkable international window for Indian football, the AIFF said.

India, ranked a lowly 138 by FIFA, have never reached the World Cup but football is wildly popular, especially in cities such as Kolkata and Kochi.

Panama is also set to play a friendly on September 26 in the southern city of Bengaluru.

The matches will offer "an unprecedented run of international football for Indian fans, with three World Cup-playing nations -- Panama, Brazil and Uruguay -- set to visit the country within the same FIFA window", the AIFF said in a statement.