- Address: Stadium Road, Kochi
- Country: India
- Capacity: 40,000
- Opened: 1996
- Main use: Football
- Tenants: Kerala Blasters (football)
Extra stadium info – Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium
The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, which is also known as the Kaloor International Stadium, was one of the six FIFA U-17 World Cup venues in 2017. Germany won the first-ever FIFA U-17 World Cup game at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium after defeating Guinea. Brazil won the second match of the tournament at the venue against Spain. 21,000 spectators showed up for the game. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Niger also played group-stage games at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium. The venue also hosted a round-of-16 game between Brazil and Honduras and a quarter-final game between Iran and Spain for the football tournament.
The Indian Premier League
The stadium hosted matches for the former cricket club Kochi Tuskers Kerala. They played in the Indian Premier League, the most popular cricket league in India. The Rajasthan Royals won the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League in 2008 after beating the Chennai Super Kings. The final of the 2008 Indian Premier League took place in Maharashtra.
The Kerala Blasters
The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium is currently known as the home of the Kerala Blasters, the first sports club from Kerala with 1 million followers on its main social media page. The Blasters became the first football club from Kerala with a value of at least $10 million. They played their first-ever Indian Super League match in 2014. Iain Hume, who played numerous games for the national football team of Canada, scored the first-ever Indian Super League goal for the Blasters. He scored the goal in 2014. Hume started his professional football career with the Tranmere Rovers from the United Kingdom. He played various matches for the Kerala Blasters.
The first two Indian Super League seasons
In 2014, the Kerala Blasters lost the inaugural final of the Indian Super League. They drew an average home attendance of 49,000 in their maiden Indian Super League season. The final was played in Maharashtra in front of a crowd of 36,000. Colin Falvey, David Benjamin James, Iain Edward Hume, Ishfaq Ahmed, Mehtab Hossain, Nirmal Chettri, Rocky Michael Chopra, Sandesh Jhingan, Saumik Dey, Stephen Paul Pearson and Victor Herrero Forcada started for the Kerala Blasters in the final. In 2015, the Blasters became the first Indian football club with an average home league attendance above 50,000 when they drew an average home attendance of 52,000 in their second Indian Super League season.
Former players of the Blasters
In 2017, the Kerala Blasters signed Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov, Paul Stephen Rachubka and Wesley Michael Brown. They all played for Manchester United Football Club, one of the most famous sports clubs in the world. Berbatov and Brown both played over 100 matches for the English football giants Manchester United. They also won various prestigious trophies with MUFC, the first British football club with a world championship title. Dimitar Berbatov, Paul Rachubka and Wesley Brown played several Indian Super League games for the Kerala Blasters. They all left the club in 2018.
