Brazil set to face India in one of Indian Football’s biggest fixtures

KOLKATA: Brazil will play India in an international friendly at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium on October 3, marking the first-ever visit of the five-time world champions to India.

The fixture has been officially confirmed by the Brazilian Football Confederation, with the All India Football Federation also announcing the match. It will be one of the biggest international football fixtures to be staged in India and will pit the Indian side against its highest-ranked opponent since the FIFA World Rankings were introduced in 1992.
Brazil are currently fifth in the FIFA rankings.

The match was finalised following discussions between the Brazilian federation and India during the FIFA World Cup. The support for Brazilian football in India, particularly the following the team enjoys in Kolkata, also helped draw the South American giants to the country.

“This will be the first time we set foot on Indian soil to play football. The team is excited to play in front of millions of fans in India who have loved Brazilian football for generations,” the Brazilian Football Confederation said in a statement.

The AIFF described the fixture as a date to be recorded in the history books, announcing that the India-Brazil international friendly would be held at Salt Lake Stadium on October 3.

Brazil will arrive in India after playing two friendlies against Australia on September 25 and 29. The squad is expected to feature captain Marquinhos, Casemiro and Matheus Cunha.

Although Brazil were eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup, the team continues to command a huge following in India, with Kolkata being one of the country’s strongest centres of support for Brazilian football.