Preview for Australia v Brazil
Brazil will begin their post-World Cup rebuild when Carlo Ancelotti’s side face Australia in an international friendly at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Friday.
The Socceroos are also returning to action for the first time since the 2026 World Cup, where they reached the round of 32, while Brazil were knocked out in the last 16 by Norway.
Tony Popovic’s side now have their sights on the 2027 Asian Cup and will use a pair of friendlies against Brazil to assess their options ahead of the tournament.
The first meeting will take place in Townsville, with the teams set to meet again at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane four days later.
Australia have been difficult to beat on home soil, going unbeaten in their last seven home matches and winning six of those games.
Brazil, meanwhile, head into the fixture with plenty of questions surrounding Ancelotti.
The five-time world champions were knocked out of the World Cup by Norway in the round of 16, losing 2-1 after being outplayed for long periods.
The defeat ended a seven-match unbeaten run for Brazil, who had won six of those games, and increased the pressure on Ancelotti as he attempts to build a team capable of challenging for major honours again.
Brazil have won just two of their last eight away matches, losing four, which will give Australia some encouragement ahead of Friday’s contest.
Team news for Australia v Brazil
Australia have named a youthful 26-man squad for the two matches against Brazil, with seven players in line to make their international debuts.
Veteran goalkeeper Mat Ryan has been left out after losing his starting place during the World Cup, with Patrick Beach among the options to replace him.
Brazil did not select Alisson for this international window, with Hugo Souza in contention to start between the sticks.
Ancelotti could use the fixture to give valuable minutes to some of his younger players, including Endrick.
Bruno Guimaraes is expected to feature in midfield, potentially alongside Manchester United’s Andrey Santos, while Raphinha and Vinicius Junior could lead the attack.
Expected line-ups for Australia v Brazil
Australia: Beach; Circati, Souttar, Herrington; Bos, Irvine, O’Neill, Behich; Toure, Metcalfe; Irankunda.
Brazil: Souza; Danilo, Marquinhos, Magalhaes, D Santos; Endrick, Guimaraes, A Santos, Lino; Raphinha, Vinicius Junior.
How to watch Australia v Brazil: TV channel, online stream
Australia v Brazil will kick off at 11am BST on Friday, September 25, with the match taking place at 8pm local time in Townsville.
There is currently no confirmed UK television or streaming broadcaster listed for the fixture. The official Socceroos website says international viewers should check their local guides.
In Australia, the match will be shown live and free on Network 10 and 10 Streaming, while it will also be available to stream on Paramount+.
Stats and recent form for Australia v Brazil
- Australia have won six of their last seven home matches, remaining unbeaten across that run.
- Australia have lost three of their last six matches and scored only four goals across those games.
- Brazil’s defeat to Norway ended a seven-match unbeaten run.
- Brazil have won just two of their last eight away matches, losing four.
- Brazil have won seven of their nine previous ‘A’ internationals against Australia.
- Australia’s only win over Brazil came in the 2001 Confederations Cup, a 1-0 victory in the third-place playoff.
- The two nations last met in 2017, when Brazil won 4-0 in Melbourne.
Prediction
Australia’s strong home record should make this a competitive contest, particularly with Popovic able to assess a number of younger players.
Brazil nevertheless have significantly more experience at the top level and should have enough attacking quality to make the difference, even if Ancelotti’s side are still searching for their best form.
Prediction: Australia 1-3 Brazil
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