In Kolkata, with the monsoon sky briefly sending both teams indoors, Uruguay brought an Asian tour to a convincing close. Diego Forlán’s side defeated India 6-1 on Tuesday, turning a tight first half into a commanding display that offered goals, rotation and encouragement for a group being shaped with the 2030 World Cup in mind.
The visit had begun unevenly for Uruguay, who were beaten 3-2 by Japan before responding with a 4-1 victory over South Korea. The final stop in India delivered their most emphatic result of the trip, although the opening stages were less comfortable than the scoreline would eventually suggest.
India found room against Uruguay’s back line and the defensive midfield area early on, creating a few awkward moments before the visitors settled. Uruguay took the lead after 10 minutes when Pramveer Ranbir brought down Federico Viñas in the penalty area. Darwin Núñez stepped up and converted the spot-kick.
There was a response from the hosts midway through the opening period. Ryan Williams produced a fine individual move, and goalkeeper Thiago Cardozo’s attempted clearance fell centrally for Anirudh Thapa, who finished to make it 1-1. Soon afterwards, a lightning storm halted play for around half an hour and sent the players from the field.
Uruguay find their rhythm after the storm
Once the match resumed, Uruguay regained control before the interval. Santiago Mouriño released Nahitan Nández, whose cross from the right was turned in by Maximiliano Araújo. The goal restored the visitors’ advantage and sent them into half-time 2-1 ahead.
The second half belonged entirely to Uruguay. Núñez brought the ball down for Rodrigo Zalazar in the 53rd minute, and the Sporting midfielder struck powerfully from outside the area for the third. Six minutes later, Viñas supplied Araújo, who finished across Gurpreet Singh Sandhu to claim his second goal of the evening.
With both sides making extensive changes, Uruguay continued to press their advantage. Facundo Pellistri crossed for Juan Manuel Sanabria to score the fifth on 60 minutes, before Rodrigo Aguirre completed the 6-1 result in the 86th minute.
Forlán used the friendlies to reinforce several regular starters while also assessing players within a longer international cycle. After defeat in Japan and the strong response in South Korea, the evening in Kolkata gave Uruguay a decisive final chapter to their journey across Asia.
