The stars of France and Brazil, both former world champions, will face off in an attractive friendly in Boston, USA, before the World Cup.
Brazil and France are among the favorites to compete for FIFA World Cup glory later this year, with the heavyweights continuing their preparations for the tournament by facing each other in an enthralling friendly in the United States on Thursday.
With less than three months to go until kick-off, the countries ranked fifth and third in the world rankings, respectively, will be gathering in the United States with a good idea of what’s in store this June and July.
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When and where will the Brazil vs France friendly match take place?
The former world champions will face off at Gillette Stadium near Boston, Massachusetts on Thursday at 8pm Japan time.
The home of the National Football League’s (NFL) New England Patriots will be the venue where these teams will face each other for the first time in 11 years, since Brazil came from behind to win 3-1 in a friendly at France Stadium in March 2015, thanks to goals from Oscar, Neymar and Luis Gustavo.
How is Brazil doing for the match?
Brazil had a tough time in the South American World Cup qualifiers with 18 games and 6 losses, finishing in 5th place. They now hope Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment as manager will give them a real chance of winning a sixth World Cup, their first since 2002.
After this match, they will head to Orlando, Florida for their next friendly on March 31 against Croatia, who they were eliminated from in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals.
Will Brazil miss out on Neymar?
Neymar is now 34 years old and has not played for his country since October 2023, but his absence from the team remains one of the main talking points going into these matches.
“It’s not a technical problem, it’s a physical problem. He’s great with the ball, but he needs to improve physically,” Ancelotti said after being asked about the absence of the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar, now at Santos.
“Because in my eyes and in the eyes of the staff, he’s not 100 percent. So he has to keep working to get back to 100 percent.”
Who will be Brazil’s key players?
Meanwhile, Brazil’s mainstay is Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, but players who are likely to play important roles at the World Cup, including goalkeeper Alisson Becker, center back Gabriel Magalhães and midfielder Bruno Guimarães, are absent.
Despite a glittering club career that included two Champions League titles and three La Liga titles, Vinicius has scored eight goals in 45 appearances for the five-time world champion and is determined to turn that promise into an international silver medal with a second World Cup just around the corner.
“I feel more secure and happier. And when I’m happy, those around me are also happier and more confident,” Vinicius told reporters.
“I hope that everything that I have done for Real can be continued here with the Brazilian national team. That is my biggest goal. It is a place that I have always dreamed of and I want to bring great pride to our country and bring a lot of joy to the entire population.”
Other notable players include uncapped 19-year-old Ryan, who has impressed in Bournemouth’s Premier League campaign since joining from Vasco da Gama in January, earning him a place.
Will Mbappé start for France?
The main focus of the French squad, as ever, will be on Kylian Mbappé, with the national team captain having only returned to Real Madrid last week after overcoming a knee injury and was keen to take part in this trip.
Despite concerns growing in France that the 27-year-old’s fitness could be a real issue, he said he had no concerns about him making it to the World Cup or ending the club season.
“That’s behind me. I followed the protocols and wanted to resume playing gradually. I hope that I can play during this international break and be able to be a decisive force again,” he said on Monday.
What happened in the last match between Brazil and France?
The last meeting between the two teams was at the 2006 World Cup, where France defeated Brazil 1-0 in the quarter-finals thanks to a goal from Thierry Henry and a great performance from Zidane.
Will Brazil and France play in the World Cup?
If, as expected, both teams advance through the group stage at the next World Cup, they will not face each other until the final.
Getting there is the goal for both teams, and Thursday’s game will be a good indicator of where both sides stand as the competition approaches.
