French and Brazilian stars take center stage as former world champions clash in a glamorous friendly in Boston, USA, ahead of the World Cup.
Brazil and France will be among the leading contenders for FIFA World Cup glory later this year, and the two heavyweight teams continue their preparations for the tournament by facing off in a glamorous friendly in the United States on Thursday.
Less than three months before the start, the countries ranked fifth and third respectively in the world ranking are in the United States, getting familiar with what awaits them in June-July.
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When and where is the Brazil vs France friendly played?
The former world champions will meet on Thursday at 20:00 GMT at Gillette Stadium near Boston, Massachusetts.
The home of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL) is the site of the first meeting of these teams in exactly 11 years, since Brazil came from behind to win 3-1 in a friendly at the Stade de France in March 2015 with goals from Oscar, Neymar and Luiz Gustavo.
How is Brazil going into the game?
Brazil fought its way through South American World Cup qualification with six losses in 18 matches and finished fifth. They now hope Carlo Ancelotti’s appointment as coach will give them a real chance of winning a record sixth World Cup and first since 2002.
After this match, they will head to Orlando, Florida, for the next friendly on March 31 against Croatia, a team that knocked them out of the 2022 World Cup in the quarterfinals.
Will Brazil miss Neymar?
Neymar is now 34 years old and has not played for his country since October 2023, but his absence from the squad continues to be one of the main talking points ahead of these matches.
“It’s a physical issue, not a technical one. He’s great with the ball, but he needs to improve physically,” said Ancelotti after being asked about the absence of the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar, now at Santos.
“Because in my eyes and my staff’s eyes, he’s not 100 percent. So he needs to keep working to get back to 100 percent.”
Who will be the key players for Brazil?
Meanwhile, Brazil’s main man is Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, while others likely to play key roles in the World Cup, such as goalkeeper Alisson Becker, centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes and midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, are absent.
Despite a glittering club career that includes two Champions League triumphs and three La Liga titles, Vinicius has scored eight goals in 45 appearances for the five-time world champions and is determined to turn his promise into international trophies with his second World Cup on the horizon.
“I feel calmer, I am happier; and when I am happier, everyone around me is also happier and more confident,” Vinicius told reporters.
“I hope that everything I do for Real, I can continue doing here with the Brazilian team. That is my biggest goal. It is where I always dreamed of being, and I want to bring great pride to our country and a lot of joy to our entire nation.”
Other notable players include Rayan, the uncapped 19-year-old who earned his place after impressing in the Premier League for Bournemouth since arriving from Vasco da Gama in January.
Will Mbappé start for France?
France’s main focus, as always, is Kylian Mbappé, and the national team captain was eager to take part in this trip after overcoming a knee injury to return to Real Madrid last week.
There were growing fears in France that the 27-year-old’s fitness could become a real problem, but he said missing the World Cup or the end of the club’s season was never a concern.
“It’s already behind us. I was following a protocol and I wanted to start playing again little by little. I hope to be able to play during this international break and start being decisive again,” he said on Monday.
What happened in the last Brazil-France match?
The last competitive meeting between both teams took place in the 2006 World Cup, when France beat Brazil 1-0 in the quarterfinals, thanks to a goal from Thierry Henry and a masterful performance from Zidane.
Will Brazil and France meet in the World Cup?
If both win their groups in the next World Cup, as expected, they will not face each other until the final.
Getting this far is the goal for these teams, and Thursday’s game will be a good indicator of where both stand as the competition approaches.
