Brazil fields Vinicius Jr., Raphinha and Marquinhos for historic India friendly
Brazil's coach Carlo Ancelotti revealed a 26-man roster featuring Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, Barcelona’s Raphinha and PSG defender Marquinhos as the senior core. The team will travel to Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium for a historic friendly against India after a two-match tour of Australia. Several veterans remain, while the goalkeeper trio from the World Cup was replaced by Hugo Souza and backups. Ancelotti said the fixtures are meant to develop a side for the 2028 Olympics and the 2030 World Cup.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti named a 26-player Brazil squad that includes Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, Barcelona winger Raphinha and Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Marquinhos as the experienced backbone. The Seleção will face India at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium on Oct 3, marking the nations’ first encounter. The lineup follows a brief Australian tour, with matches in Townsville and Brisbane, and retains other veterans such as Gabriel Magalhaes and Bruno Guimaraes.
Goalkeeper Alisson, Ederson and Weverton were omitted, with Hugo Souza taking the starting role and Pedro Morisco and Otavio as backups. Ancelotti highlighted the non-competitive fixtures as opportunities to test younger players ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and to build a team for the 2030 World Cup. The squad features six players aged 20 or younger and eight potential debutants, reflecting a longer-term rebuilding plan.
