Brazil beat India 4-0 in first senior men's meeting

Brazil beat India 4-0 in Kolkata on Saturday as the countries’ senior men’s teams met for the first time. Samuel Lino scored twice in the second half after Estevao and Pedro had given the visitors a two-goal lead before the break.

The friendly was also the first time India had hosted Brazil’s senior men’s team. Despite the interest surrounding the visit, Salt Lake Stadium, which has a capacity of 65,000, was half-empty.

Brazil take control before half-time

Brazil made an early opening for Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr, but India goalkeeper and captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu saved his effort in the eighth minute. India managed a few runs towards Brazil’s goal before Chelsea forward Estevao put the visitors ahead with a left-foot shot in the 28th minute.

Pedro doubled Brazil’s lead in the 42nd minute. India responded after the interval, with Manvir Singh drawing a fine save from a powerful strike in the 55th minute, but Brazil soon extended their advantage.

Lino replaced Vinicius in the second half and scored in the 58th minute after sloppy defending from India. He added his second goal just before the final whistle to complete the 4-0 win.

India coach Khalid Jamil pointed to mistakes in his side’s defending. “Two or three goals were very soft due to individual errors. Our concentration was lacking at times,” he told reporters, while also saying his players had shown belief against Brazil.

A notable visit, with work ahead

Critics blamed ticket prices for the low turnout. The cheapest tickets, priced at 999 rupees (US$10), sold out minutes after going on sale, while the next categories cost between 3,500 and 25,000 rupees. Brazil’s yellow jerseys were prominent among those who attended.

Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti praised his young players after the match, saying they had improved since the team’s recent friendly double-header in Australia. Brazil arrived in India following a win and a draw there, and are looking to rebuild after their World Cup exit to Norway in July.

For India, ranked 138th in the world, the fixture was a chance to raise football’s profile in a country where cricket remains the leading sport. India’s men have never qualified for a World Cup; although these men’s teams had not previously met, the countries’ women’s sides played in Manaus in 2021.