Panaji: The announcement that the Brazilian national football team will play India in a friendly took many by surprise.It’s a mismatch.Brazil are five-time world champions, currently ranked among the top five in the world and often referred to as ‘o País do Futebol’ or the country of football. Their last FIFA World Cup triumph was in 2002, and although they were knocked out in the round of 16 by Norway in the latest edition of the great sporting spectacle, they remain one of the biggest attractions in world football.India are ranked a poor 138 in the world, unable to stitch wins against lowly-ranked regional opponents. The country even failed to qualify for the 24-team AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia next year.India’s passion for football though is undeniable. During every World Cup, there’s overwhelming support for Brazil as thousands wear Brazil’s iconic yellow shirts and cheer their hearts out. Every moment of Selecao’s campaign is followed and celebrated.It is this obsessive enthusiasm that has drawn Brazil to India for a historic friendly at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan on Oct 3.“Against India, there is the technical aspect (to consider), but also a great deal of gratitude to the fans,” said Rodrigo Caetano, Brazil’s general executive coordinator of the men’s national teams. “Indians showed tremendous affection for the Brazilian national team throughout the FIFA World Cup. So, it is only fair that we go there as a way of saying thank you, and also to have a great contest.”India’s senior men’s national team has never played against Brazil. The women, though, lost 1-6 against the former world champions during the four-nation tournament in Manaus in 2021. India’s U-16 team also featured against Brazil at the BRICS Cup in Goa, losing 1-3.Meanwhile, Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti views the two friendlies against World Cuppers Australia, and one against India, as an opportunity to try out different players. Ancelotti is rebuilding the squad after its World Cup failure.“With these three friendly matches, we will begin a new cycle to project the national team towards the goals of the coming years, which are the 2028 Copa América and the 2030 World Cup,” Ancelotti told the Brazilian football federation website. “We will take advantage of these three friendlies to call up new players for the national team, especially young players, who can showcase their talent in the coming years.”
