Blue Tigers arrive in London for Unity Cup 2026

India (136th in the FIFA rankings) will play Jamaica (ranked 71st) in the second semifinal on May 27

The Blue Tigers departed Bengaluru in the early hours of May 24 / IANS

The Indian senior men’s national team, with 17 players, arrived in London on Monday ahead of their participation in the Unity Cup 2026.

The Blue Tigers departed Bengaluru in the early hours of May 24 morning to travel to the English capital for what will be their first match on British soil since 2002. Khalid Jamil’s side assembled in Bengaluru on May 22, a day after the conclusion of the Indian Super League 2025-26. However, Mohun Bagan Super Giant recalled its players from the national camp on May 23.

Following the last-minute withdrawal, India traveled with the remaining 17 players to London. Goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari is traveling separately and arrived on May 25.

India (136th in the FIFA rankings) will play Jamaica (ranked 71st) in the second semifinal on May 27 at midnight IST (May 28), while Nigeria (ranked 26th) will take on Zimbabwe (ranked 130th) in the first semifinal at the same time a day earlier. The two losing teams will play in the third-place playoff on May 30. All matches will take place at The Valley, home of Charlton Athletic FC. The matches will be streamed live on FanCode.

India’s 18-member squad for Unity Cup 2026:

Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Hrithik Tiwari (to arrive on Monday), Albino Gomes.

Defenders: Rahul Bheke, Nikhil Poojary, Roshan Singh Naorem, Sandesh Jhingan, Akash Mishra, Bijoy Varghese, Pramveer.

Midfielders: Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Noufal PN, Ricky Shabong.

Forwards: Ryan Williams, Edmund Lalrindika, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rahim Ali, Farukh Choudhary.

Unity Cup 2026 schedule:

Semifinal One
Tuesday, May 26, 7:30 p.m. BST (midnight IST, May 27): Nigeria vs. Zimbabwe

Semifinal Two
Wednesday, May 27, 7:30 p.m. BST (midnight IST, May 28): Jamaica vs. India

Final and third-place playoff
Saturday, May 30

Venue: The Valley, London

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