Who is Anirudh Thapa? The Indian footballer who ended a 44-year wait for a goal against two-time world champions Uruguay

Anirudh Thapa ended India’s 44-year wait for a goal against Uruguay to join Manas Bhattacharya as only the second goalscorer/ Image: X India may have suffered a heavy 6-1 defeat to Uruguay in Kolkata, but one moment still gave the home crowd something significant to celebrate. Anirudh Thapa’s equalizer against the two-time FIFA World Cup champions ended India’s 44-year wait for a goal against La Celeste and put the midfielder alongside a player from a completely different era in the national team’s history.

Anirudh Thapa ended India’s 44-year wait against Uruguay

Thapa became only the second Indian footballer to score against Uruguay when he reacted quickest to a rebound and converted it to equalize during the international friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium on Tuesday.Uruguay took the lead in the 11th minute after India defender Pramveer was penalized for a foul inside the area, with former Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez converting the resulting penalty after sending Gurpreet Singh Sandhu the wrong way.India responded just 11 minutes later when Ryan Williams won the ball in midfield before carrying the ball forward to strike from the edge of the box.Uruguay goalkeeper Thiago Cardozo was able to parry Williams’ effort but Thapa watched the move closely and first reacted to the loose ball before calmly finishing the rebound.The goal briefly leveled India at 1-1 and gave the hosts a huge lead against the Uruguayan team ranked 20th in the world, with India ranked 138th.It was also an important personal moment for Thapa as the strike was his fifth international goal and his first for India since March 2023.Uruguay eventually pulled away in the second half, with Maximiliano Araújo scoring twice, while Rodrigo Zalazar, Juan Manuel Sanabria and Rodrigo Aguirre also found the net to complete a 6-1 victory.Still, Thap’s goal earned him a place in a very small piece of Indian football history.

Manas Bhattacharya was the first Indian to score against Uruguay

Before Thap’s rebound at the Salt Lake Stadium, India’s previous goal against Uruguay had been scored 44 years earlier by Manas Bhattacharya.Bhattacharya found the net during the 1982 Nehru Cup at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, although his goal could not prevent India from losing the match 3–1.Uruguay had already built a two-goal lead through Jorge da Silva before Bhattacharya pulled it back in the 35th minute.The goal made Bhattacharya the first Indian to score against Uruguay, an accolade he held for more than four decades before being joined by Thapa on Tuesday night.Bhattacharya was a prominent winger during the 1970s and 1980s and earned a strong reputation during his time at Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting.India and Uruguay have only met twice before, with Uruguay winning both encounters, although the second meeting came against the Uruguayan B team during the 2001 Millennium Super Soccer Cup in Kochi.The match ended 3–0 to Uruguay, making Thap’s strike the first Indian goal against the South Americans since Bhattachary’s effort in Kolkata in 1982.

Who is Anirudh Thapa?

Born in Dehra Dun on 15 January 1998, Thapa has become one of the most respected midfielders in Indian football after a few years with the national team.He currently plays for Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the Indian Super League and has already won the ISL twice in his career, making his senior India debut in 2017 and racking up over 60 international appearances.His development began when he started playing football at the age of 10 at St. Stephen’s Football Academy in Chandigarh.Thapa then represented the Indian Under-14 side before earning a place at the AIFF Regional Academy in Kalyani in 2012, later moving on to the AIFF Elite Academy and eventually captaining the I-League Under-19 team.

Kolkata: India’s Anirudh Thapa, left, celebrates with Ryan Williams after scoring a goal during the international friendly football match between India and Uruguay in Kolkata. (PTI Photo/Manvender Vashist Lav) (PTI10_06_2026_000500B)

In 2016, he was one of four Indian players selected for an opportunity with French Ligue 2 club Metz, giving him an early taste of European football before establishing himself back home.His journey to the Indian Super League began in 2016 when he was signed by Chennaiyin FC, followed by a loan move to Minerva Punjab after the 2018 ISL season.Thapa made his debut for Minerva Punjab against Mohun Bagan in January 2017 before returning to Chennaiyin in May of the same year when his loan spell ended.After the 2021–22 ISL season, Thapa left Chennaiyin to join Mohun Bagan, where he continued to develop as one of India’s established midfield options.His goal against Uruguay now adds another remarkable chapter to that career as, despite India’s eventual 6-1 defeat, Thapa became only the second Indian player ever to find the net against the two-time world champions.