In a pivotal move for Indian football, head coach Khalid Jamil unveiled a 28-member preliminary squad for the upcoming Unity Cup 2026, as reported by aiff.com. This announcement, made on May 14, 2026, signals the nation’s intent to make a significant impact at the tournament taking place in London.
The Indian team will gather in Bengaluru for a brief training camp following the Indian Super League (ISL) season before departing for London on May 24. This camp is crucial for Jamil to evaluate the players before finalising the squad for the prestigious tournament.
Reflecting on the importance of this preparation, Jamil stated, “The Unity Cup will be the perfect opportunity for us to prepare for the official tournaments like the SAFF Championship later this year. We need to utilise every available FIFA International Window to prepare for the tournaments we have up ahead.”
The head coach further added that the selection of the preliminary squad was informed by the players’ performances in the ongoing ISL, as he noted, “We have selected the 28 players for the preliminary squad, as per their performances in the ongoing ISL. We will have a couple of days to assess them before we pick the final 23.”
India, currently ranked 136th in the FIFA standings, faces a tough challenge ahead as they prepare to meet Jamaica, ranked 71st, in the second semi-final on May 27 at midnight (May 28 IST). In another exciting clash, Nigeria’s Super Eagles, ranked 26th, will take on Zimbabwe, ranked 130th, in the first semi-final at the same time. The losing teams will then compete in the third-place playoff on June 30.
Emphasising the benefits of such matchups against stronger opponents, Jamil remarked, “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 these.”
