Brazil to face India in historic football friendly in Kolkata

The Brazil senior men’s football team will play an international friendly against India in Kolkata on October 3, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced on Thursday.

The match will be held at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, popularly known as Salt Lake Stadium, and will mark one of the biggest moments in Indian football history.

The visit is expected to be a special occasion for Indian football fans, many of whom have followed Brazil’s style of play and legendary players for generations. India is also home to one of the largest fan bases of the Brazilian national team outside Brazil.

M Satyanarayan, Deputy Secretary General of AIFF, said hosting Brazil would be a landmark moment for the sport in India.

“To welcome a team of Brazil’s stature to our country is an extraordinary moment and one that will undoubtedly become a landmark chapter in the history of Indian football,” he said.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) also confirmed the match through a post on X, describing it as a historic occasion.

The CBF said the fixture would be Brazil’s first match on Indian soil and highlighted the strong connection between the team and its millions of supporters in the country.

“On October 3, the National Team will take the field for the first time on Indian soil, at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata,” the CBF said. “It will be a special encounter with a country that hosts the largest international fan base of the Brazilian National Team and that, for generations, has followed the history of Brazilian football with immense affection and passion.”