Grêmio set World Cup break plan with friendlies, training and split holidays | OneFootball

Grêmio have finalised their World Cup break programme, with a final league match on Saturday at 17:30 against Corinthians at the Arena in the 18th round.

According to Globo.com, the squad reconvenes on 17 June at the CT Luiz Carvalho. Their first friendly is against Cascavel on 27 June at 16:00 at Estádio Olímpico Regional in Paraná.

A friendly tournament in Brasília is also planned, with dates and opponents to be confirmed. Two games are expected, with teams invited by the event sponsor. Flamengo were among those approached.

Head coach Luís Castro and the club hierarchy see the pause as a major opportunity. Internally, the view is that the campaign was hampered by limited preparation at the start of the year, with Campeonato Gaúcho and Brasileirão in January.

With additional time on the training ground, performance is expected to improve. Recruitment aims include a right-back and a midfielder, while departures could involve youngsters Gabriel Mec and Viery amid overseas interest.

The World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July. In the following week, Grêmio will play the first leg of the Copa Sul-Americana play-off against Bolívar, with date and time to be confirmed after finishing second in their group.

Holidays will be split between this period and December because of the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, scheduled for 24 June to 25 July. The calendar will pause again, with stadiums and training centres allocated to national teams.

Source: Globo.com