AIFF Media Team
NEW DELHI: India Men’s Senior National Team Head Coach Khalid Jamil announced the 28-member preliminary squad for the Unity Cup 2026 on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
The Blue Tigers will gather in Bengaluru for a brief camp after the conclusion of the 2025-26 Indian Super League, before flying to London on May 24 for the Unity Cup.
India head coach Khalid Jamil will assess the players during the short camp, before selecting the final squad of 23 that will travel to London for the Unity Cup.
Jamil said: “The Unity Cup will be the perfect opportunity to prepare for official tournaments like the SAFF Championship later this year. We need to use all available FIFA international windows to prepare for the tournaments ahead.
“We have selected the 28 players for the preliminary squad, based on their performances in the ongoing ISL. We will have a couple of days to evaluate them before choosing the final 23,” he said.
India (ranked 136 in FIFA rankings) will play Jamaica (ranked 71) in the second semi-final on May 27 at midnight (May 28 in IST), while Nigeria (ranked 26) will face Zimbabwe (ranked 130) in the first semi-final at the same time. The two losing teams will play the third place match on June 30.
The Indian head coach believes that playing against stronger opposition will help boost the team.
“We are playing against strong teams that play at a good level. I think these matches will give a lot of confidence to the players and help us play at that level. We should play more matches like this,” Jamil said.
India’s 28-member preliminary squad for Unity Cup 2026:
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Vishal Kaith, Hrithik Tiwari, Albino Gomes.
Defenders: Rahul Bheke, Nikhil Poojary, Roshan Singh Naorem, Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Anwar Ali, Sandesh Jhingan, Akash Mishra, Bijoy Varghese, Pramveer.
Midfielders: Ashique Kuruniyan, Lalengmawia Ralte, Sahal Abdul Samad, Anirudh Thapa, Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, Noufal PN, Ricky Shabong.
Forwards: Ryan Williams, Manvir Singh, Liston Colaco, Suhail Ahmad Bhat, Edmund Lalrindika, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rahim Ali, Farukh Choudhary.
Unity Cup 2026 Schedule:
Semifinal one
Tuesday 26 May, 19:30 BST (00:00 IST, 27 May): Nigeria v Zimbabwe
Semifinal two
Wednesday 27 May, 19:30 BST (00:00 IST, 28 May): Jamaica v India
Final eliminator and for third place
Saturday May 30
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