The Indian senior men’s national team will play a FIFA international friendly against Thailand on June 4 at the Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani, Thailand.

The fixture will serve as vital preparation for their upcoming AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Final Round match against Hong Kong on June 10.

India opened their Group C campaign in March with a goalless draw against Bangladesh. Similarly, Hong Kong and Singapore played out a 0-0 draw, leaving all four teams level on points after the first round of fixtures.

Head coach Manolo Marquez will lead the Blue Tigers into a preparatory camp beginning May 18 in Kolkata, before flying to Thailand on May 29. Following the friendly, the squad will travel directly to Hong Kong to acclimatise and train ahead of the all-important qualifier.

As per the latest FIFA Rankings, the Blue Tigers are currently ranked 127th, compared to Thailand, who are ranked 99th.

The two sides have faced each other 26 times, with Thailand enjoying the upper hand with 12 wins.

India have registered seven victories, while seven encounters ended in draws. However, recent history favours the Blue Tigers, who won both meetings in 2019 — a memorable 4-1 triumph at the AFC Asian Cup followed by a 1-0 win in Buriram to claim the bronze medal at the King’s Cup.

Marquez and his team will be eager to rediscover winning form and build momentum ahead of the crucial away fixture in Hong Kong.

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