India is preparing to host football elite in a historic friendly match against Brazil, which will take place in Kolkata. Local fans hope that this major match will energize the country, where cricket dominates.
The game will be held at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. The hosts, ranked 138th in the world, will meet the five-time world champions, whose squad includes stars like Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior. The first visit of the Seleção team has caused huge excitement in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state, where football is very popular.
The President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Kalyan Chaubey, told local media: 'This is the kind of football match that every player wants to participate in, and I believe that the match against Brazil is historic for India.' India, a country with a population of 1.4 billion people, has never qualified for the World Cup and lags significantly behind the football elite in quality.
Nevertheless, officials express hope that this high-profile event will help attract new sports fans. Chaubey noted: 'Football fans have shown great enthusiasm for the match. I would like people who love football in India to benefit and become more involved in football thanks to this game.'
The Brazilian team arrives after a win and a draw in a double friendly match in Australia, aiming to recover after an unexpected exit from the Norway World Cup in July. The South Americans, ranked fifth, have not won the main international sporting tournament since 2002, which has led to a period of self-reflection in the country accustomed to such successes. Although the men's teams have never met, the women's national teams played each other in Manaus, Brazil, in 2021.
Kolkata, a large city in eastern India, has already been accustomed to major events, having hosted the Brazilian legend Pelé in 1977 and 2015.
Strength Check
Besides Vinicius, Brazil's squad includes Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos, Barcelona forward Raphinha, and the Arsenal duo Gabriel Malgaenhão and Bruno Guimarães. For India, this is a rare chance to test their strength against one of the traditional global powers in football.
Forward Rahim Ali, who plays for Odisha in the Indian Super League, emphasized the importance of the meeting: 'This is an extremely important match for us. We are playing against such a big team; it will be a very difficult match, but once we step onto the field, it will be an eleven versus eleven game.' Fan Raj Kahar told AFP that he was 'excited' by the prospect of seeing the Brazilian stars in person. He added: 'These matches are a litmus test—whether we can compare ourselves to teams like Brazil. It will give us an idea of whether we can qualify for the World Cup in the future. So, it's a good opportunity.'
Brazil's coach Carlo Ancelotti cautioned against viewing the contest as a mere exhibition match, insisting that for a team in transition, 'there is never a friendly match.' India enters the game after a draw with Panama, ranked 46th, in Bengaluru last week. Furthermore, they will play Uruguay in Kolkata on October 6.
The Saturday match drew criticism after AIFF withdrew India from the ASEAN Cup to prioritize the game against Brazil. Former captain of the Indian national team, Bhichung Bhutia, stated that the funds spent on hosting the match with Brazil could have been used more effectively for grassroots sports development and athlete preparation. Bhutia advised: 'If the Bengal government plans to pay or try to raise money for this match, please collect it so that Bengal can have several gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. We are trying to host the Olympics here (in India). Try to ensure that Olympians from Bengal win medals there. Don't spend it on one 90-minute match.'