Who is Anirudh Thapa? The Indian footballer who ended 44-year look ahead to a objective in opposition to two-time World Cup champions Uruguay
India could have suffered a heavy 6–1 defeat to Uruguay in Kolkata, however one second nonetheless gave the house crowd one thing important to have a good time. Anirudh Thapa’s equaliser in opposition to the two-time FIFA World Cup champions ended a 44-year look ahead to an Indian objective in opposition to La Celeste, inserting the midfielder alongside a participant from a really completely different period of the nationwide group’s historical past.
Anirudh Thapa ends India’s 44-year wait in opposition to Uruguay
Thapa grew to become solely the second Indian footballer to attain in opposition to Uruguay when he reacted quickest to a rebound and turned it into the equaliser throughout Tuesday’s global pleasant on the Salt Lake Stadium.Uruguay had taken the lead within the eleventh minute after Indian defender Pramveer was penalised for a foul inside the realm, with former Liverpool ahead Darwin Núñez changing the ensuing penalty after sending Gurpreet Singh Sandhu the flawed means.India responded simply 11 minutes later, with Ryan Williams successful possession in midfield earlier than carrying the ball ahead and putting from the sting of the field.Uruguay goalkeeper Thiago Cardozo managed to parry Williams’ effort, however Thapa had adopted the transfer intently and reacted first to the unfastened ball earlier than calmly ending from the rebound.The objective briefly introduced India stage at 1–1 and gave the house aspect an enormous elevate in opposition to a Uruguay group ranked twentieth within the globe, with India sitting 138th.It was additionally an essential private second for Thapa, as a result of the strike was his fifth global objective and his first for India since March 2023.Uruguay finally pulled away within the second half, with Maximiliano Araújo scoring twice whereas Rodrigo Zalazar, Juan Manuel Sanabria and Rodrigo Aguirre additionally discovered the online to finish a 6–1 victory.Thapa’s objective nonetheless secured his place in a really small piece of Indian soccer historical past.
Manas Bhattacharya was the primary Indian to attain in opposition to Uruguay
Before Thapa’s rebound on the Salt Lake Stadium, the earlier Indian objective in opposition to Uruguay had been scored 44 years earlier by Manas Bhattacharya.Bhattacharya discovered the online through the 1982 Nehru Cup at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, though his objective couldn’t forestall India from dropping the match 3–1.Uruguay had already constructed a two-goal benefit by Jorge da Silva earlier than Bhattacharya pulled one again within the thirty fifth minute.The objective made Bhattacharya the primary Indian to attain in opposition to Uruguay, a distinction he held for greater than 4 a long time earlier than Thapa joined him on Tuesday evening.Bhattacharya was a outstanding winger through the Nineteen Seventies and Nineteen Eighties and earned a robust status throughout his spells with Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting.India and Uruguay have solely met twice beforehand, with Uruguay successful each encounters, though the second assembly got here in opposition to a Uruguay B group through the 2001 Millennium Super Soccer Cup in Kochi.That match ended 3–0 to Uruguay, that means Thapa’s strike was the primary Indian objective in opposition to the South Americans since Bhattacharya’s effort in Kolkata in 1982.
Who is Anirudh Thapa?
Thapa was born in Dehra Dun on January 15, 1998, and the 28-year-old has grow to be one of many extra established midfielders in Indian soccer after a number of years across the national-team setup.He presently performs for Mohun Bagan Super Giant within the Indian Super League and has already received the ISL twice throughout his profession, whereas making his senior India debut in 2017 and accumulating greater than 60 global appearances.His improvement started when he began taking part in soccer on the age of 10 with St. Stephen’s Football Academy in Chandigarh.Thapa then represented India’s under-14 aspect earlier than incomes a spot on the AIFF Regional Academy in Kalyani in 2012, later shifting into the AIFF Elite Academy and finally captaining the I-League under-19 group.
Kolkata: India’s Anirudh Thapa, left, celebrates with Ryan Williams after scoring a objective throughout an International pleasant Football match between India and Uruguay, in Kolkata. (PTI Photo/Manvender Vashist Lav)(PTI10_06_2026_000500B)
In 2016, he was one in all 4 Indian gamers chosen for a chance with French Ligue 2 membership Metz, giving him an early style of European soccer earlier than he established himself domestically.His Indian Super League journey started in 2016 when Chennaiyin FC signed him, adopted by a mortgage transfer to Minerva Punjab after the 2018 ISL season.Thapa made his debut for Minerva Punjab in opposition to Mohun Bagan in January 2017 earlier than returning to Chennaiyin in May that yr when his mortgage spell ended.After the 2021–22 ISL season, Thapa left Chennaiyin and joined Mohun Bagan, the place he continued growing as one in all India’s established midfield choices.His objective in opposition to Uruguay now offers that profession one other notable chapter, as a result of regardless of India’s eventual 6–1 defeat, Thapa has grow to be solely the second Indian participant ever to seek out the online in opposition to the two-time globe champions.
