Football
Football: India to play Maldives, Bangladesh in Shillong this March
This is the first time the JLN stadium plays host to international football matches since its refurbishment.
The JLN Stadium in Shillong will host India's matches during the FIFA international window in Marc. (Photo Credit: NorthEast United FC)
The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, in Shillong, Meghalaya, will host the India senior men’s national team in the two matches that they will play during the March FIFA International Window.
The Blue Tigers begin their AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round campaign against Bangladesh on March 25 and will play an International Friendly against the Maldives on March 19 as part of their preparation, at the JLN Stadium, Shillong.
Both matches will kick off at 7 pm IST on their respective dates.
India has been drawn in Group C of the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round, alongside Hong Kong, Singapore, and Bangladesh.
The teams will play each other twice in a home-and-away round-robin format till March 2026. The group winners will make it to the Asian Cup tournament proper.
This is the first time that JLN Shillong will have senior men's international matches after the stadium was refurbished last year.
The 15,100-seater arena has hosted matches in domestic tournaments and leagues, like the Durand Cup, Indian Super League, I-League, and I-League 2nd Division among others.
India’s matches in March 2025 FIFA international window:
March 19: India vs Maldives, 7 pm IST, FIFA International Friendly
March 25: India vs Bangladesh, 7 pm IST, AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Qualifiers Final Round
