Uruguay beats India 6-1 in Kolkata as lightning storm halts play

Timnas India suffered a heavy 6-1 defeat against Uruguay in their third international friendly at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, commonly known as Salt Lake Stadium, in Kolkata on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.

The match concluded a grueling schedule for the South Asian side against global heavyweights, following a 4-0 loss to Brazil and a 1-1 draw with Panama earlier in the window. The heavy defeats against two CONMEBOL giants exposed a stark quality gap as India prepared on home soil.

Lightning Storm Halts Play in Kolkata

The friendly match was abruptly interrupted in the 27th minute due to severe weather and a sudden lightning storm. Players from both sides, including Uruguay’s Darwin Núñez and Rodrigo Bentancur alongside refereeing crews and Uruguay manager Diego Forlan, sprinted for the safety of the dressing rooms.

Stadium announcements over the public address system instructed all spectators to seek secure shelter while the giant stadium screens displayed warnings about the inclement weather. The suspension lasted for 39 minutes as heavy rain pelted the venue before play resumed under persistent downpours.

Pink October Campaign at Salt Lake Stadium

The fixture featured a historic uniform adjustment by the visiting South American side. Uruguay’s players stepped onto the Kolkata pitch wearing bright pink socks for the first time in the 126-year history of the team.

The initiative aligned with the Pink October breast cancer awareness campaign. The ONCE campaign, organized by the Uruguayan Football Association alongside the Uruguayan Ministry of Public Health and the Honor Commission for Cancer Control, aimed to highlight medical statistics showing that one in eleven women in Uruguay will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetimes.

How the Six Goals Unfolded Against India

RRI.co.id detailed the scoring sequence that turned a competitive first half into a runaway victory for the visitors. Uruguay opened the scoring in the 12th minute when Darwin Núñez converted a penalty kick past the Indian defense.

India responded quickly when Anirudh Thapa equalized in the 22nd minute, sending the Kolkata crowd into celebration. That parity lasted only briefly before the 20th-ranked visitors overwhelmed the 138th-ranked hosts, per RRI.co.id data.

Maximiliano Araújo scored twice in the 28th and 59th minutes, while Rodrigo Zalazar added a goal in the 53rd minute. Juan Manuel Sanabria scored in the 71st minute, and Rodrigo Aguirre capped the scoring in the 86th minute to seal the 6-1 final scoreline.

Scheduling Conflict and the FIFA ASEAN Cup Withdrawal

Lensa Hukum reported that India’s ambitious fixture list directly caused their withdrawal from the FIFA ASEAN Cup 2026. All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey explained that regulatory limits allowing only four matches during an international window forced the federation to drop out of the regional tournament.

“We cannot participate in the FIFA ASEAN Cup because of our commitment with the football federation of Brazil,” Chaubey said, adding that FIFA officials were duly notified of the scheduling crunch. Bangladesh ultimately replaced India in the ASEAN tournament lineup as the hosts chose high-profile friendlies against World Cup participants instead.