Brazil has unveiled its 26-man squad for the historic match against India, scheduled for October 3rd. This match will take place at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) in Kolkata. Coach Carlo Ancelotti formed the team, which includes stars such as Vinicius Junior, Rafinha, and Andric.
This will be the first meeting between India and Brazil in top-tier international men's football. It presents a serious challenge for India, as Brazil is a five-time world champion. According to FIFA rankings, Brazil is ranked fifth, while India is ranked 138th.
The spearheads of Brazil's attack will be stars like Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid and Rafinha from Barcelona. The young Real Madrid forward Andric is also included in the squad. Furthermore, Estevao and Joao Pedro from Chelsea, Ryan from Bournemouth, Pedro from Flamengo, and Samuelinho have joined the team. Thus, Brazil's attack promises to pose serious problems for India's defense.
In midfield, the team features the new star player from Arsenal, Bruno Guimarães, who moved from Newcastle United to Arsenal in August. His teammates include Andre Santos, Breno Bidon, Danilo Santos, Douglas Luiz, who plays for Juventus, and Gabriel Bontempo.
In the defensive line, Brazil combines experience with youthful vigor. Marquinhos from Paris Saint-Germain and Gabriel Magalhães from Arsenal will provide the necessary experience to the defense. Vitor Reis from Manchester City, Jar from Nottingham Forest, Veselle from Roma, and Mauro Júnior from PSV have also been included in the squad.
This squad is Ancelotti's first team since the 2026 World Cup, and significant changes have occurred. Only nine players who participated in the World Cup were selected this time: Vinicius Junior, Rafinha, Andric, Bruno Guimarães, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães, Douglas Santos, Danilo Santos, and Ryan. Notably, Neymar Junior's name is absent from the list due to his retirement from international football.
The Brazilian team will also embark on a tour of Australia. Before the match against India, the Brazilian national team will play two matches against Australia: the first on September 25th in Townsville, and the second on September 29th in Brisbane. After this, the Brazilian team will arrive in Kolkata.
Meanwhile, Indian national team coach Harish Jamil has announced a 26-man squad for friendly matches against Panama, Brazil, and Uruguay. Key players included in this list are Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Anwar Ali, Aniruddha Tapa, Sakhal Abdul Samad, and Manvir Singh.