Samuel Lino scores twice as Brazil thrash India in Kolkata friendly

A four-goal margin defined the result for Brazil against India on Saturday, marking the first-ever meeting between the two national teams. The match took place at the "Salt Lake" Stadium in Kolkata, concluding the Seleção's schedule for the current international break.

Estêvão and Pedro open scoring

Chelsea forward Estêvão initiated the scoring in the 28th minute. He received the ball on the right side, evaded his defender, moved inward, and struck the goal with his left foot. Flamengo striker Pedro extended the lead fourteen minutes later. Estêvão provided the assist, and Pedro pushed the ball across the line following a deflection by Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. The half-time interval arrived with Brazil ahead by two goals.

Lino replaces Vinícius to seal victory

Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior began the contest but was substituted at the start of the second half. Carlo Ancelotti introduced Samuel Lino into the lineup. Barcelona’s Raphinha did not participate due to injury. Lino increased Brazil’s advantage shortly after the restart. The Flamengo player advanced into the penalty area and placed the shot to the goalkeeper’s left at the 58-minute mark. He added a second goal deep into stoppage time at 90+5, finalizing the 4-0 scoreline.

Historical context and rankings

This fixture represented the first time Brazil played on Indian soil. Prior to this encounter, the two nations had never competed against each other. India currently occupies the 138th position in the "FIFA" rankings and has never secured qualification for a World Cup tournament. Brazil stands as the highest-ranked opponent India has faced since the rankings system launched in 1992.

The Brazilian squad entered this match following two friendlies against Australia. They drew the initial game 1-1 before winning the subsequent fixture 4-2.