Brazil and France, ranked fifth and third in the world respectively, are set to face each other in a high-profile friendly in the United States ahead of the World Cup later this year. The match takes place on Thursday at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, marking the first meeting between the two sides in 11 years.
Brazil, struggling in South American qualifying with six defeats in 18 games, are banking on coach Carlo Ancelotti to guide them toward a sixth World Cup title, their first since 2002. Superstar Neymar, now 34, has not played for Brazil since October 2023 due to physical fitness issues, leaving Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior to lead the attack. Other stars such as goalkeeper Alisson Becker, centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, and midfielder Bruno Guimaraes are absent, while 19-year-old Rayan earns his first call-up after impressing with Bournemouth.
For France, the spotlight is on captain Kylian Mbappe, who has recovered from a knee injury and is eager to feature after returning to action for Real Madrid. Coach Didier Deschamps is preparing for his final World Cup after 14 years in charge, with Zinedine Zidane expected to succeed him, according to French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo. France also replaced injured Arsenal defender William Saliba with Maxence Lacroix of Crystal Palace.
The last competitive encounter between Brazil and France came at the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals, when France won 1-0 thanks to a Thierry Henry goal and a standout performance from Zidane. If both teams top their groups as expected in the upcoming World Cup, they would only meet again in the final, making Thursday’s friendly a key indicator of form and readiness for the tournament.
