Ahead of the match, it appears that the Uruguayan team are familiarising themselves with the city and its culture. During their visit, the Uruguayan players also had a taste of cricket, India’s most popular sport. India’s blockbuster set of international football friendlies is set to conclude with a match against two-time FIFA World Cup winners Uruguay in Kolkata on Tuesday. Uruguay landed in Kolkata a week ahead of their match, and on Sunday, the players visited the city’s iconic Eden Gardens Stadium.
Ahead of their friendly against India, the Uruguayan football team visited the iconic Eden Gardens Stadium and tried out cricket.
From defenders Jose Maria Gimenez and Ronald Araujo, to midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and Torreira to striker Darwin Nunez, the team possesses several household names that will take the pitch against India on October 6. Forlan spent a season with Mumbai City FC in 2016, and infamously got a red card in a playoff match in Kolkata. Sunday appeared to be a day where Uruguay visited different parts of the city, and football team’s official X account shared images of the players at Victoria Memorial and Eden Gardens. The pictures of the Uruguayan footballers trying out cricket at the Eden Gardens went particularly viral on social media. Midfielder Lucas Torreira, currently of Galatasaray and formerly of Arsenal, could be seen holding a bat. Much like Brazil, Uruguay have brought a star-studded squad to India. The squad is being coached by legendary striker Diego Forlan, who isn’t visiting India or Kolkata for the first time. Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde, arguably Uruguay’s most well-known active player, has not come to India after suffering an injury ahead of the international break. Uruguayan football is looking to recover after a dismal few years, with the team having exited the last two FIFA World Cups in the group stage.
