Uruguay coach Diego Forlan urged his side not to be complacent against India, insisting the host deserves respect despite the gulf in standard between the two sides.

“We know it’s going to be really difficult, but we always respect everybody,” Forlan said on Monday, the eve of the international friendly.

Uruguay comes into the game after a 1-3 defeat to Japan and a 4-1 win over South Korea, with Forlan stressing that his team has had more time to recover and prepare since the first loss. 

“We have more days to work, more days to rest a little bit,” he said.

The former Uruguay star, who played an ISL season with Mumbai City FC in 2016, was particularly impressed by what he saw from India against Brazil. “If you give them time and space, they can damage you and they can play well,” Forlan said.

The coach said Uruguay would carry its traditional competitive mentality into the contest. “We try to continue that legacy, something that we felt as a player,” he said.

Acknowledging the quality and experience of the Uruguayan side, Jamil warned that even a single mistake could prove costly against an opponent strong at both ends of the pitch

India head coach Khalid Jamil has urged his players to maintain concentration throughout the game as the team prepares to face two-time World champion Uruguay at the Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday (October 6, 2026).

Acknowledging the quality and experience of the Uruguayan side, Jamil warned that even a single mistake could prove costly against an opponent strong at both ends of the pitch.

“Against Uruguay, we have to start with good concentration and maintain it from the first minute till the end of the game. We have to believe that we can get a good result,” he added.

Jamil also stressed on the importance of the result in building confidence and said his plans extend beyond the immediate fixture. “The result is also important because if you get a good result, it gives the team confidence. But we also have a plan to build a strong team for the future,” he said while adding that the fixture is part of the long-term effort to build a strong national team.

India will host two-time World Cup champions Uruguay for a football friendly on October 6 in Kolkata, the third international match the country will play at home against quality teams in the upcoming FIFA window.

The match will be played three days after India’s international friendly against five-time World Cup champions Brazil at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. The match against Uruguay will also be played at the same iconic venue.

The Indian team is also playing against Panama at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on September 26.

The FIFA international window is from September 21 to October 6 and a country can play a maximum of four matches in this period.

“The Indian men’s national team will welcome another heavyweight of world football to Kolkata, with two-time FIFA World Cup champions Uruguay set to face India in an international friendly match at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on October 6, 2026. The fixture will be India’s third high-profile international friendly of the window,” the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said in a statement on Thursday.

“La Celeste’s arrival in Kolkata adds another major fixture to 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.”

Uruguay are currently ranked 20th in the FIFA chart. They won the World Cup in 2030 and 1950, and reached the semifinals three times — 1954, 1970 and 2010.

In the 2026 World Cup, they made a group stage exit, after playing out draws against Saudi Arabia (1-1) and Cape Verde (2-2), and losing to eventual champions Spain (0-1).

They were also eliminated in the group stage in the 2022 World Cup.

The current head coach of Uruguay, Diego Forlan, played for Mumbai City FC in 2016.

Earlier in the day, the AIFF announced that Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru will host India’s international friendly against Panama on September 26.

The fixture will mark the Blue Tigers’ first appearance in Bengaluru since their SAFF Championship 2023 campaign, when India lifted the title on home soil after defeating Kuwait in the final at the same venue.

Panama are currently ranked 44th in the world. They featured in the 2026 World Cup in the Americas and were eliminated in the group stage after losing to Ghana (0-1), Croatia (0-1) and England (0-2). They also took part in the 2018 World Cup and bowed out in the group stage.

The Blue Tigers are also slated to face New Zealand on November 12 and 15 in away matches.