Brazil concluded its international friendly fixtures with a 4-0 victory over India on Saturday at Salt Lake Stadium in Calcutta, marking the first time the two national teams have ever met and the first appearance by the Seleção on Indian soil.
Calcutta Debut and Early Struggles Against the 138th-Ranked Side
Face to the 138th-ranked side by FIFA, which has never managed to qualify for the World Cup, the Seleção nevertheless experienced a sluggish start to the match. Barcelona forward Raphinha was absent from the encounter due to an injury, while Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior featured in the starting lineup before being replaced at halftime. Vinicius had been defended the previous day by his head coach Carlo Ancelotti in a press conference despite a difficult start to the season with Real Madrid, and the match featured multiple offside positions involving the player.
Estêvão and Pedro Break the Deadlock Before the Interval
Chelsea attacker Estêvão opened the scoring in the 28th minute after receiving a pass on the right flank from Matheuzinho, according to match accounts. Estêvão shook off his marker, cut inside, and drove a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu for his sixth international goal, finding the target after a series of hooks and feints that exploited soft intervention from the Indian goalkeeper, who was not blameless on the play. Shortly before halftime in the 42nd minute, Flamengo striker Pedro doubled Brazil’s advantage. Estêvão created the opportunity by playing Pedro into space, and although the forward’s central strike was not cleanly handled by Sandhu, the ball crossed the line to make it 2-0.
Samuel Lino Seals the Win After Halftime Changes
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti made five substitutions at halftime, resting starters such as Marquinhos and Vinicius Junior, who had made way for Samuel Lino at the break. Lino, another Flamengo player, extended the lead to 3-0 in the 58th minute by driving into the penalty area and firing a right-footed shot past the goalkeeper following an Indian defensive turnover, as detailed. In stoppage time at the 90+5th minute, Lino added his second goal of the match to complete the 4-0 scoreline.
Brazil Faces Japan and Singapore After India
The fixture capped a busy international window for Brazil, which previously played a two-match series against Australia, drawing the first encounter 1-1 before winning the second 4-2. While the five-time World Cup winners prepare to face Japan and Singapore on November 14, India prepares to host Uruguay on Tuesday at 4:00 PM local time.
Brazil and India Meet for First Time
Have Brazil and India ever played each other before Saturday’s match? No, Saturday’s friendly at Salt Lake Stadium in Calcutta was the first-ever senior international encounter between the two national teams.
Which players scored the goals for Brazil? Estêvão opened the scoring in the 28th minute, Pedro added the second just before halftime in the 42nd minute, and Samuel Lino scored a second-half double in the 58th and 90+5th minutes.
What was India’s previous fixture context heading into this game? Ranked 138th by FIFA, India had never previously faced a national team ranked as high as Brazil since the rankings system was established in 1992.
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