With both South Korea and Brazil heading to the 2026 World Cup, these international friendlies bring an unusual sense of urgency, as both managers aim to find out which players deserve to be a guaranteed starter next year.
South Korea have become a regular in FIFA’s forum, having qualified for the last 10 editions of the World Cup. Their place in next year’s tournament was secured by winning their qualification group in June, and there was never any doubt. The Reds have a phenomenal generation of players and can be a problem for the big nations
Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil is still a work in progress and the Green and Yellows have much to prove next year. The Selecao secured a World Cup seat a while ago, but barely finished 5th in the overall qualifications, while they are usually fighting Argentina for the top position. Goals have been scarce under Carletto, with his side scoring only four goals in the last four matches, while also failing to score in two out of four.
How the bookies view it: A Green and Yellow triumph
No matter the form, Brazil will always be a heavy betting favourite against South Korea and this meeting is no exception. You can back the Selecao at 1/2 in this friendly clash, while the Reds are available at 5/1. The draw is also up there at 3/1.
Recent head-to-head: They met during the 2022 World Cup
South Korea and Brazil have been involved in quite a bit of action in recent years, with three clashes in the last six years. Most importantly, the teams met in the 1/8 finals of the previous World Cup, when Brazil obliterated the Reds with four goals in the first half, winning 4-1. Overall, the national teams have met a total of six times since 1999, with the Selecao winning five and losing once.
Players to watch: Cunha can restart his season
Matheus Cunha has had a slow start at Manchester United and is still searching for his first goal of the season, although his presence has certainly had a positive impact on the Red Devils. He was called out but missed the previous international break with a last-minute injury, but will be back in the starting line-up. With several big names out for the Selecao, we could see a standout Cunha performance with a goal or an assist.
Probable line-ups
South Korea: Seung-gyu, Moon-hwan, Min-jae, Yu-min, Ju-sung, Jae-sung, Jin-gyu, Kang-in, Du-jae, Castrop, Heung-min
Brazil: Bento, Vanderson, Militao, Gabriel, Santos, Casemiro, Guimaraes, Estevao, Cunha, Vinicius, Richarlison
Anything else catch the eye?
Brazil under Ancelotti have not impressed with much in the first four games, and even the 3-0 over Chile was fully expected (we even predicted the correct score) and not at all impressive. This will be their first friendly match with Carletto and we expect a more intriguing display.
This is the perfect time to test new tactics and the same goes for South Korea, who have been overly impressive going unbeaten in 16 WC qualification matches. And more recently, they beat the USA and went 2-2 against Mexico in friendly matches. The three most recent H2Hs went over 2.5 goals and we expect the same here, including a goal from the Reds. But Brazil should win after 90 minutes, as anything else would be below their standard, even if it is just a friendly match.
GambleAware