Brazil vs Egypt
Whatever your age, there remains an undeniable magic about seeing Brazil in a World Cup. As I approach 40 years as a fan – the first ever tournament I saw was Mexico 86 – that feeling hasn’t altered.
So, as the Selecao prepare to play their final international friendly ahead of this summer’s spectacle, the excitement intensifies.
Furthermore, the fact they are now managed by one of the game’s greatest ever has increased the anticipation and expectation.
Talking Points
The fact Brazil were largely unimpressive in qualifying counts for nothing quite frankly.
After the 4-1 reverse in Buenos Aires against deadly rivals Argentina in March last year, head coach Dorival Júnior was sacked and there were even fears the most famous international side in planet football would miss out on the tournament.
However, the South American qualifying – with six direct spots for 10 teams – is extremely forgiving and there was renewed hope, not only for qualification but for the actual tournament, when Carlo Ancelotti was appointed just over a year ago.
He’s a multiple winner in multiple countries to the extent that silverware is almost guaranteed when he’s around – from the Premier League to La Liga.
This is Ancelotti’s first international role, but he takes over Brazil as one of the most decorated managers in club football and the only coach to win each of Europe’s top-five leagues, so no wonder excitement abounds.
In time honoured Brazilian tradition, he has vowed to attack too.
The absence of talents such as Eder Militão, Rodrygo and Estêvão – the former two are players Ancelotti managed at Real Madrid until 13 months ago – is a blow.
The inclusion of Neymar, a player who has flattered to deceive in the latter stages of this competition and whose petulance has been less than impressive at times, is also a surprise to some.
Ancelotti is not expecting Neymar, now aged 34, to play every minute or carry the team through the group stage. He is betting that, even in a limited role, the Santos man – who has since picked up a calf injury – can still provide the creativity and composure that change tight games.
They will have a solid spine too with the departing Man Utd midfield general Casemiro and Arsenal man Gabriel, superb in last weekend’s Champions League Final, providing a platform on which to build.
Seeking international friendly 2026 highlights, Saturday night’s contest Stateside at Huntingdon Bank Field should be a well-attended warm-up for both nations.
After missing out four years ago, Egypt were unbeaten in qualifying and even booked their ticket to North America with a game to spare.
They scored 19 goals in nine matches, as tallisman Mohamed Salah led the way with nine, conceded two goals and kept seven clean sheets. Despite the impressive numbers in qualifying, Egypt’s shape is pragmatic more than romantic but that may help them this summer as they seek to progress to the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
Led by head coach Hossam Hassan (a player at Italia 90), the Pharaohs have been drawn in Group G alongside Belgium, New Zealand and Iran and winning a first ever match at a World Cup will surely be their first target.
Hassan has effectively confirmed there will be no late tactical revolution, saying he has settled on 90% of the side. He also frames the team as ‘100% locally made’ compared with African rivals who are stocked with European-born players.
Whether that is enough for them to reach their goals remains to be seen but how they match up against Brazil could give us an indication about hat lies ahead.
History
Brazil hold a flawless record against Egypt, winning all of their previous encounters. The teams have met six times since 1960 and Brazil have won the lot. Their most recent match-up was a friendly in Qatar in 2011 which the South Americans won 2-0, thanks to a double from the little-known Jonas.
The only competitive fixture (as such) came in the Confederations Cup in 2009 when it took a 90th minute Kaka penalty for Brazil to edge home in a seven goal thriller.
Kaka had also opened the scoring and was joined on the scoresheet by Luis Fabiano and Juan but Egypt came close to a draw with Mohamed Zidan (two) and Mohamed Shawky finding the net.
Betting Tip
At the time of writing, the SBOTOP international friendly 2026 betting odds are not on our site but take a look before enjoying this encounter.
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