The Indian men’s national team will participate in the Unity Cup 2026, to be held in London from May 26 to 30.

The four-nation friendly tournament will feature India, Nigeria, Jamaica and Zimbabwe, and will be played at The Valley, home of Charlton Athletic FC.

India will face Jamaica in the second semifinal on May 27. The first semifinal between Nigeria and Zimbabwe will be played on May 26. The winners of the semifinals will advance to the final on May 30, while the remaining teams will contest the third-place play-off.

This will mark the Blue Tigers’ return to the United Kingdom for international matches after 24 years. Historically, when India last played in the UK in 2002, it was against Jamaica in two friendly matches, registering a 0-3 defeat in Watford and a goalless draw in Wolverhampton. India has never faced Nigeria and Zimbabwe before.

As per the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking, India is 136th in the world. Among the other participating teams, Nigeria is ranked 26th, Jamaica 71st, and Zimbabwe 130th.

Unity Cup 2026 Schedule:

Nigeria v Zimbabwe (Semifinal 1): Tuesday, May 26, 19:30 BST (00:00 IST, May 27)

Jamaica v India (Semifinal 2): Wednesday, May 27, 19:30 BST (00:00 IST, May 28)

Final and Third-place Play-off: Saturday, May 30

Published on Apr 08, 2026