Former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has welcomed the opportunity for the Indian football team to face world football’s heavyweights like Brazil, Uruguay and Panama in international friendlies scheduled for early October.
Ganguly, currently the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and a former co-owner of Indian Super League club ATK FC, said regular exposure to stronger opponents is vital for Indian football’s development.
“It is good. Why wouldn’t it be good to play football against big teams?” Ganguly said in response to a question from the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which is organising the matches in Kolkata and Bengaluru.
The former India captain called for such opportunities to continue throughout the year, saying consistent exposure would help Indian players compete at the highest level. “This needs to happen throughout the year so that players get proper exposure. I always believe that playing against teams better than yourself helps improve your own game,” he said.
Drawing a parallel with cricket, Ganguly said regular competition against leading teams helped Indian cricketers improve. “Look at cricket, they play against top-quality teams round the year, which is why they get better. The same approach needs to be applied here,” he added.
Published – August 31, 2026 08:37 pm IST
