Uruguay Defeats India 6-1 in International Football Friendly

Anirudh Thapa scored for India before Uruguay secured a dominant 6-1 victory in an international football friendly played at the Salt Lake Stadium. Thapa found the net around the 22nd minute after goalkeeper Thiago Cardozo spilled a shot from Ryan Williams, bringing a momentary roar from the 37,000-plus spectators in attendance.

Match Flow

India entered the match ranked 138th globally, while Uruguay stood at 20th and played without their injured star player Federico Valverde. The visitors opened the scoring in the 10th minute when Darwin Nunez converted a penalty kick following a challenge by Pramveer Singh. After Thapa equalized for the hosts, a 35-minute weather delay caused by lightning and rain halted play. Uruguay capitalized immediately after the restart when Maxi Araujo scored in the 28th minute from a low cross by Nahitan Nandez.

Second Half

Uruguay pulled away after the break as Rodrigo Zalazar scored in the 53rd minute following a pass from Lucas Torreira. Araujo added another in the 59th minute, while substitutes Juan Manuel Sanabria and Rodrigo Aguirre scored in the 70th and 87th minutes respectively to seal the lopsided win.

Context

International friendlies allow lower-ranked national teams to test themselves against elite global opposition, offering valuable match practice outside of official tournament qualifiers. Playing against high-ranking opponents helps coaches evaluate squad depth and test tactical adjustments under high-pressure conditions.