Sourav Ganguly Backs Matches Against Brazil, Uruguay to Boost Indian Football

Speaking in Hyderabad, former Indian cricket team captain and former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said upcoming matches featuring international teams such as Brazil, Uruguay, and Panama will provide Indian footballers with crucial exposure against top-tier opponents to help the sport grow.

With national sides from Brazil, Uruguay, and Panama scheduled to visit India, Ganguly highlighted the fixtures as a significant opportunity for Indian players to test their abilities at the highest level of international football.

Ganguly, who spent over a decade competing at the top level in international cricket before leading the Board of Control for Cricket in India, noted that regular competition against superior opponents remains essential for player and team development.

“It’s good. Why wouldn’t it be good to play football against big teams?” Ganguly said when asked about the significance of such fixtures.

However, the former captain emphasised that competing against elite opposition should not be limited to isolated fixtures or special occasions. He argued that Indian footballers require consistent challenges across the calendar to steadily raise their standards.

“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 parallels with the development of Indian cricket, Ganguly pointed out that regular contests against leading world teams across various formats and conditions played a major role in the sport's domestic progress.

“Look at cricket, they play against top-quality teams all year round, which is why they get better. The same approach needs to be applied here,” he noted.

Ganguly also expressed hope that the All India Football Federation will continue working towards establishing a more robust and consistent international match schedule for the national team.