KOLKATA, India — Brazil beat India 4-0 in a rare meeting between the two men’s teams on Saturday, with Estevao and Samuel Lino among the scorers in front of a half-empty Salt Lake Stadium.
The match was the first time India had hosted Brazil’s senior men’s team, but only about half of the 65,000-capacity stadium was filled. Critics blamed ticket prices for the attendance, with the cheapest tickets costing 999 rupees ($10) and selling out within minutes, while other categories ranged from 3,500 to 25,000 rupees.
Brazil controlled the early stages and came close when Vinicius Junior was denied by a save from India goalkeeper and captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu in the eighth minute.
India created some openings but Brazil took the lead in the 28th minute when Chelsea forward Estevao fired a left-foot shot past Gurpreet.
Pedro doubled the lead three minutes before halftime as Brazil continued to control the match.
India responded with greater attacking intent after the break and Manvir Singh forced a save with a powerful strike in the 55th minute.
Samuel Lino, who replaced Vinicius in the second half, added Brazil’s third in the 58th minute after India were caught out defensively.
Lino completed the scoring shortly before the final whistle to give Brazil a four-goal victory.
The match was the first senior men’s meeting between the countries, although their women’s teams met in Manaus in 2021.
India, ranked 138th in the world, have never qualified for a World Cup and are seeking to raise the profile of football in a country where cricket remains the dominant sport.
Brazil were looking to build momentum after a win and a draw in a recent friendly double-header in Australia as they continue their rebuild following their World Cup exit to Norway in July.
