Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 7 : Former Indian skipper and Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Sourav Ganguly backed India’s need to regularly face stronger opposition in football, saying matches against teams such as Uruguay provide valuable exposure and experience. 
He urged fans not to focus solely on the result or scoreline, stressing that competing against superior teams is essential for the Indian side’s development and improvement.
India suffered a heavy 6-1 defeat to Uruguay at Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday. Anirudh Thapa provided a brief moment of joy for the home side with a historic goal, but Uruguay quickly regained control and went on to dominate the match.
"They (Indian team) need to play more of these. That's the only way they can get better. Exposure makes better, so let's not worry about the result or the goals. You're playing against a much superior team, but that's the only way you improve,” Ganguly told the reporters after the match. 
Thapa’s equaliser was a piece of Indian football history even in defeat. He became only the second Indian to score against Uruguay in a senior international, following Manas Bhattacharya, who scored in India’s 3-1 loss at Eden Gardens in the 1982 Nehru Cup.
India end the three-match window with a draw against Panama and defeats to Brazil and Uruguay. They scored twice and conceded 11 goals against three teams that played at the 2026 World Cup.
Thapa’s goal will endure as the night’s Indian moment. Uruguay’s response showed how quickly a match at this level can escape India.