World champions coming to India: Forlán names Valverde, Núñez-led Uruguay squad for historic clash | Football News

Uruguay team (Pic credit: Selección Uruguaya)

NEW DELHI: India’s historic football date with Uruguay has gained even more star power, with two-time world champions Uruguay naming a 46-player preliminary list featuring some of the biggest names in world football for their September-October FIFA international window.Federico Valverde, Darwin Núñez, Ronald Araújo, José María Giménez, Rodrigo Bentancur and Giorgian de Arrascaeta are among the headline names in the list announced under new head coach Diego Forlán.Uruguay are scheduled to face India on October 6 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata, in what promises to be one of the biggest football fixtures ever staged on Indian soil. The match will come three days after India face five-time world champions Brazil at the same venue.The Uruguay fixture is part of an unprecedented home window for India, with three 2026 World Cup participants — Panama, Brazil and Uruguay — set to face the Blue Tigers.

Valverde, Núñez headline Forlán’s first list

Forlán, the legendary former Uruguay striker and 2010 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner, has retained much of the experienced core of the side while also introducing several new faces.Real Madrid midfielder Valverde is among the standout selections, alongside Tottenham’s Bentancur and Lucas Torreira. Manchester United-linked Facundo Pellistri, Maximiliano Araújo, Brian Rodríguez and Flamengo star De Arrascaeta are also included.The defensive group features Liverpool’s Ronald Araújo, Giménez, Nahitan Nández, Guillermo Varela, Mathías Olivera and Sebastián Cáceres.Up front, Núñez is joined by Miguel Merentiel, Rodrigo Aguirre, Federico Viñas, Martín Satriano and Álvaro Rodríguez.The list also includes several players who could represent the beginning of a new generation under Forlán. Among the notable inclusions are Alexander Barboza, Santiago Mouriño, Diego Rossi and Facundo Bernal.The 46-player list marks the beginning of Forlán’s tenure following Marcelo Bielsa’s departure. It contains 20 of the 26 players who represented Uruguay at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, although veteran striker Luis Suárez is notably absent.Forlán’s appointment adds another layer to the India fixture. The 2011 Copa América winner scored 36 goals in 112 appearances for Uruguay and enjoyed a distinguished club career with Manchester United, Villarreal, Atlético Madrid and Inter Milan. He also played in India’s Indian Super League for Mumbai City FC in 2016.India, meanwhile, will approach the encounter under head coach Khalid Jamil, who has named a 26-member squad for the three high-profile friendlies. The Blue Tigers will first face Panama before meeting Brazil and Uruguay in Kolkata.

India-Panama friendly brought forward

India’s first fixture of the window has also undergone a schedule change. The Panama friendly, originally set for September 26 at Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium, has been advanced by a day to September 25.The change is linked to the Bengaluru Marathon, which is scheduled for September 27 and will use the Kanteerava Stadium as its start and finish point. The revised date will allow organisers sufficient time to prepare the venue for the marathon.Panama, ranked 44th in the world and participants at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, will now open India’s challenging run of fixtures on September 25. Brazil follow on October 3, before Forlán’s Uruguay arrive in Kolkata for the October 6 blockbuster.

Uruguay Squad: FIFA International Window (September–October)