India drew 1-1 with Panama at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday 25 September 2026. Ryan Williams put India ahead in the 41st minute, playing in the same city where his Indian club career started, and Panama substitute Omar Valencia equalised in the 68th. It was the first meeting between the two senior men's teams. India's next game is against Brazil in Kolkata on 3 October, then Uruguay on 6 October.
The match was moved from 26 to 25 September because the stadium was hosting the Bengaluru Marathon on the 27th.
India vs Panama: match facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Match | India v Panama, FIFA international friendly |
| Result | India 1-1 Panama |
| Scorers | Ryan Williams 41' (India), Omar Valencia 68' (Panama) |
| Date | Friday 25 September 2026 |
| Venue | Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru |
| India head coach | Khalid Jamil |
| Panama head coach | Thomas Christiansen |
| TV | Sony Sports Network |
| Streaming | SonyLIV |
| Next India game | India v Brazil, 3 October, Kolkata, 7:30 pm IST |
How the match went
India led at half-time. Ryan Williams, the Bengaluru FC winger, scored in the 41st minute at the ground where his Indian club career began, a moment he had called "full circle" before kick-off. Panama pushed after the break and substitute Omar Valencia equalised in the 68th minute, and the scoreline held at 1-1 until full time.
A draw against a team that lost all three of its World Cup group games without scoring is a fair result for where India are right now: better than the 3-1 and 1-0 defeats earlier in the year, and a first goal and a positive scoreline for a squad that Khalid Jamil has said is being rebuilt without Sunil Chhetri.
Where to watch the replay and highlights
Sony Sports Network had the live telecast and SonyLIV streamed the match. Sony Sports holds the rights to all three of India's home friendlies in this window against Panama, Brazil and Uruguay, so highlights and replays are the place to check for clips of the Williams goal.
Panama: who are they?
Panama were at the 2026 World Cup in the same group as Ghana, Croatia and England, and lost all three games without scoring — 1-0 to Ghana, 1-0 to Croatia and 2-0 to England. The AIFF had them ranked 44th in the world when it made the announcement.
Head coach Thomas Christiansen, who was born in Denmark and is also a Spanish citizen, named a 27-player squad for the Asian tour. Fourteen of those were at the World Cup, and six could win their first senior caps, including goalkeeper Marcos De León. After Bengaluru, Panama travel to Japan for the Kirin Cup Soccer, with games in Yokohama on 1 October and in Tokyo on 5 October.
India: the bigger picture
Khalid Jamil, who made his name taking Aizawl FC to the I-League title in 2016-17, named 26 players on 31 August for the three-match window. The camp had been running in Bengaluru since 14 September.
Sunil Chhetri, India's record scorer, was not in the squad. Jamil has publicly said India are building a new team, and Ryan Williams's goal — his second India goal in three caps since debuting in March 2026 — is an early sign of it.
India's five results before Panama, all in 2026: a 2-1 win over Hong Kong in the Asian Cup qualifiers on 31 March, then a 2-0 loss to Jamaica and a 1-0 loss to Zimbabwe at the Unity Cup, and a 3-1 loss and 1-1 draw in two friendlies against Tajikistan in June. The Panama draw makes it one win, two draws and two losses in the last six.
The Kanteerava factor
The Sree Kanteerava Stadium held 26,380 fans for the 2023 SAFF Championship final, when India beat Kuwait on penalties after a 1-1 draw. It is a ground with big-match experience, and this one — India's first competitive-feel friendly of the window — will be loud.