Ancelotti names Brazil XI to face Australia, Pedro and Samuel Lino benched | OneFootball

Brazil faces Australia this Friday (25) in a FIFA date friendly

The first Brazil National Team lineup after the 2026 World Cup has been set. This Friday (25), Brazil takes on Australia in a friendly in the city of Townsville, and Ancelotti has defined the starting XI.

— Tomorrow (Friday) Hugo Souza will play; Matheuzinho, Marquinhos, Vitor Reis and Douglas Santos; Danilo and Bruno Guimarães; Estevão, Raphinha, Endrick and Vinícius. But don’t get used to it (to the team being confirmed in advance) -, Ancelotti said in a very good-humored tone during a press conference.

That means the two called-up players representing Flamengo, Pedro and Samuel Lino, will start on the bench. Also in the press conference, Ancelotti stressed that the Brazil National Team already has a core group in place, made up of the players left over from the World Cup.

— For us, the important thing is to play well and think about winning games. The truth is that this match can be an opportunity for some players, but I believe we have a foundation and we have to keep going with that foundation. These are the players who already played in the World Cup, who can help the progression of the young players we have here -, said Ancelotti.

WILL PEDRO AND SAMUEL LINO GET A CHANCE?

Despite starting on the bench, there is an expectation that the red-and-black attacking duo will get a chance in this Friday’s match (25). That is because Ancelotti also pointed out that he should make a series of changes in the second half, mainly from midfield forward.

— There is a tendency, I want to observe more players, at least in this first match, in midfield. I am looking at midfielders, I’m going to change things a little more there, and let the defense play a bit longer -, the coach said.

TWO FRIENDLIES AGAINST AUSTRALIA AND A FIRST-EVER CLASH WITH INDIA

Brazil will face Australia in two matches. The first takes place this Friday (25), at 7 a.m. (Brasília time), at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville.

Four days later, on Tuesday (29), also at 7 a.m. (Brasília time), Brazil will face the Australians again. This time the ball will roll at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, the third most populous city in Australia.

Finally, on October 3 (next Friday), at 11 a.m. (Brasília time), the Brazil National Team will wrap up the Super FIFA date friendlies in a first-ever match against India. The first game in history between the teams will take place at Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.

READ OTHER COMMENTS FROM ANCELOTTI AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE:

FIRST FRIENDLY AFTER THE WORLD CUP

— It will be an important match, a new season, a new objective, to find a new player, to find a new generation of players for the next World Cup and for the Copa América, and we will start tomorrow’s game.

TWO GAMES AGAINST AUSTRALIA

— It’s something new, but I think they are two high-level matches, because Australia showed a lot of quality at the World Cup. It may be that we play the two matches differently in terms of system, in terms of how the system performs. I think it is a good opportunity to start doing things well.

REDUCTION OF FOREIGN PLAYERS IN BRAZIL

— I think the reduction of foreign players in Brazilian football is a very important aspect in giving opportunities to Brazilian talent, of which there is a lot, but it is also an opportunity for the entire Brazilian Championship. It seems to me that reducing it year after year is not a bad thing. It is something very positive for football.

ESTEVÃO BACK WITH THE NATIONAL TEAM EVEN AS A CHELSEA (ENG) SUBSTITUTE

— Estêvão is a very important player for the National Team. Sometimes the club’s interest is not the National Team’s interest, but for us, Estêvão, or any other young player, is very important. If he doesn’t play, if he doesn’t get minutes at the club, I will still call him up, because we think he is very important for the future and we will give him opportunities to improve.

VINI JR AND RAPHINHA

The current moment for the two is different. Raphinha is delivering spectacular performances in a position that was not his, but now seems to be his as well. As for Vinícius, you could say he is not at his best right now. Our conviction about both is that they will be fundamental players for the future.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.