Brazil will face off against France in a highly anticipated friendly match in Boston this Thursday, just three months ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Under Carlo Ancelotti, who took over from Dorival Junior last summer, Brazil finished fifth in their World Cup qualifying group. For the upcoming tournament, they will be grouped with Scotland, Morocco, and Haiti.
On the other hand, 2018 World Cup champions France topped their qualifying group, which included Ukraine, Iceland, and Azerbaijan. Didier Deschamps’ squad will compete against Norway, Senegal, and one other team that will emerge from a playoff.
The last encounter between these two nations occurred in 2015, where Brazil emerged victorious with a score of 3-1. However, their most notable clash remains the 1998 World Cup final, in which France triumphed 3-0.
Here’s what you need to know.
When is Brazil vs France?
The match is set to commence at 8 PM GMT (4 PM local time) on Thursday, March 26, at Gillette Stadium in Boston.
How can I watch it?
In the UK, the game will be aired on ITV4 and available for streaming on ITVX, with coverage beginning at 7:50 PM.
Confirmed line-ups
Brazil XI: Ederson; Wesley, Bremer, Leo Pereira, Douglas Santos; Casemiro, Andrey Santos; Raphinha, Cunha, Vini Jr; Martinelli.
France XI: Maignan; Gusto, Upamecano, Konaté, Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Olise, Cherki; Mbappe.
Team news
For Brazil, Ancelotti has made eight changes from the starting line-up that drew 1-1 with Tunisia in their previous friendly. Ederson returns in goal, and the defense sees a complete overhaul with the inclusion of Wesley, Bremer, Leo Pereira, and Douglas Santos.
While Casemiro remains in midfield, he is joined by Andrey Santos, who fills in for the injured Bruno Guimaraes. Raphinha and Gabriel Martinelli replace Rodrygo and Estevao in attack, with Martinelli likely leading the front line.
As for France, Deschamps has also made eight changes from the side that won 3-1 against Azerbaijan in their last World Cup qualifier in November. Mike Maignan comes back in goal for Lucas Chevalier, and Dayot Upamecano takes over for Lucas Hernandez in defense.
In midfield, Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot replace Warren Zaïre-Emery and Kephren Thuram, while the attack features a new lineup with Rayan Cherki, Michael Olise, and Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, alongside Kylian Mbappe at the forefront.