India could follow up their high-profile friendly against Brazil with another major test against 2026 FIFA World Cup surprise package Cabo Verde, with the two teams likely to meet on October 6. The proposed fixture would come just three days after India host five-time world champions Brazil at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium on October 3. While the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is yet to formally announce the Cabo Verde match, talks have advanced significantly and the African side is understood to have given its verbal approval.
Kolkata and Kochi have emerged as the two possible venues for the friendly, with a final decision expected once the remaining formalities are completed. The match would give Khalid Jamil's India another opportunity to test themselves against a side that featured at this year's World Cup. India are expected to begin their preparatory camp in Kolkata around September 21 ahead of what could become one of their most demanding international windows in recent years.
Cabo Verde's presence would make the fixture considerably more significant than an ordinary international friendly. Ranked 64th in the world, the island nation made its FIFA World Cup debut in 2026 and emerged as one of the tournament's surprise performers. They progressed from a difficult group without losing a match, holding Spain to a goalless draw and Uruguay to a 2-2 draw before another 0-0 result against Saudi Arabia.
Their campaign eventually ended against defending champions Argentina in the knockout stage, but only after a remarkable contest in which Cabo Verde twice fought back before going down 3-2 after extra time. Sidny Lopes Cabral's strike against Argentina was later voted FIFA's Goal of the Tournament, adding another memorable chapter to Cabo Verde's breakthrough campaign.
The team have since undergone a coaching change, with Humberto Bettencourt taking charge following Bubista's departure. Bettencourt had served as an assistant for six years and was part of the coaching staff during Cabo Verde's historic World Cup run. Should the October 6 fixture go ahead, it is expected to be the first senior men's international between India and Cabo Verde.
The potential Cabo Verde friendly is part of AIFF's push to secure stronger opposition for India after the national team withdrew from the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup. India had initially been drawn alongside Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in the competition, but the clash of dates with the Brazil friendly forced the federation to change plans. AIFF subsequently began exploring friendlies against teams that had competed at the 2026 World Cup, with Cabo Verde and Iran among the names under discussion.
The Brazil fixture has already been officially confirmed for October 3 in Kolkata. A Brazilian delegation inspected the Salt Lake Stadium this week as preparations for the match gathered pace. India are also scheduled to travel to New Zealand for two friendlies in November. If the Cabo Verde game is finalised, India could therefore play four matches against 2026 World Cup participants over the closing months of the year — Brazil, Cabo Verde and New Zealand twice. For now, however, the Cabo Verde fixture remains short of official confirmation, with the date and venue expected to be announced once the two federations complete the remaining formalities.
Probuddha Bhattacharjee is a sports writer and analyst with expertise spanning cricket, football, and multi-sport events, with a strong emphasis on data-driven journalism and tactical storytelling. He currently focuses on international cricket, the Indian Premier League, global tournaments, and emerging trends shaping modern sport, blending advanced statistics with strong narrative context to explain performance, strategy, and decision-making. His work aims to bridge the gap between numbers and storytelling, helping readers understand not just what happened on the field, but the tactical and structural reasons behind it. Trained in data journalism through the Google News Initiative (GNI) Data Journalism Lab, Probuddha works extensively with ball-by-ball datasets, performance metrics, and trend-based modelling to produce evidence-backed reports, explainers, and long-form features. His analytical approach focuses not only on outcomes but also on process—selection strategies, phase-wise tactics, workload management, and the influence of preparation and planning on match results. He is particularly interested in how statistical patterns reshape conventional cricketing narratives and provide clearer tactical insight for modern audiences. Beyond cricket, Probuddha has written analytical and news-driven pieces on football and other major sporting events, with a growing interest in sports governance, scheduling dynamics, and the economics of elite competitions. He also tracks how rule changes, franchise structures, and broadcast pressures influence the evolution of contemporary sport. He has previously contributed to platforms such as OneCricket, Sportskeeda, and CrickTracker, and continues to specialise in analytical storytelling, live coverage, and audience-focused reporting. His work prioritises clarity, context, and credibility, while consistently exploring innovative ways to present data through accessible narratives and structured match analysis.Read More
