France forward Kylian Mbappé demonstrated he’s fully recovered from his left knee injury on Thursday, scoring a goal that helped lead his team to a 2-1 victory over Brazil in a World Cup warm-up match in Foxborough, where two of the top teams clashed.
In front of a crowd of 66,215 largely supporting Brazil, Mbappé and teammate Hugo Ekitike secured a 2-0 lead, setting the stage for France’s final group stage game in this summer’s World Cup against Norway and Erling Haaland. Brazil managed to narrow the score to 2-1 in the 78th minute with a goal from Bremer.
The friendly match proceeded smoothly despite prior tensions between Foxborough and World Cup organizers regarding nearly $8 million in security expenses. An agreement was reached two weeks ago, where the organizing committee agreed to pay upfront, leading to the town approving the necessary entertainment permit.
This resolution cleared the way for one of the world’s largest sporting events to take place in this suburb, which usually witnesses its population swell during New England Patriots games. In anticipation of FIFA regulations, an actual grass field replaced the artificial turf previously used by both the NFL’s Patriots and the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer.
The attendance marked the second-largest for a soccer match at Gillette Stadium, second only to a 2007 friendly featuring Brazil and Mexico. The crowd was predominantly adorned in Brazilian yellow, with just a few French flags waving in celebration of Mbappé’s goal.
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Also present were Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla and players, including forward Jayson Tatum, who participated in the pregame coin toss alongside Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey.
Mbappé, a former player for Paris Saint-Germain and now with Real Madrid, had sprained his left knee in December but returned to play in January after nearly a month out. He had come off the bench in Real Madrid’s previous two matches but started Thursday’s game.
On Monday, Mbappé stated that his injury was “truly behind me.”
He demonstrated this in the 32nd minute when Ousmane Dembélé delivered a perfectly timed through ball, allowing Mbappé to advance unchallenged toward the goalkeeper. The 2018 World Cup champion and 2022 Golden Boot winner elegantly chipped the ball over the keeper for the opening goal.
France doubled their lead in the 65th minute when Ekitike, Liverpool’s leading scorer this season, netted after receiving a pass from Michael Olise inside the penalty area. Shortly after, Mbappé was substituted.
Brazil found some traction when France’s Dayot Upamecano was sent off in the 55th minute after a video review upgraded his yellow card to red for taking down a player on a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Brazil then managed to pull one back when Bremer redirected a cross from Luiz Henrique past France’s goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
The match also featured a mid-half “cooling break” to allow players to rest and hydrate, even though temperatures in early spring New England were mild, in the mid-60s (15 Celsius). Following heat-related concerns during last year’s Club World Cup, FIFA announced that all matches in the 2026 World Cup will include this break, regardless of temperatures on the pitch.
This report includes contributions from the Associated Press.