India plays its first-ever senior international match against Panama at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday, September 25.
India enters the fixture ranked 138th globally, facing a 94-place deficit against 44th-ranked Panama, which featured in the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage.
Head coach Khalid Jamil stated that India will mix defense and attack rather than purely containing their opponents in this opening match of a tough series.