France wins friendly match against Brazil

by Chumasande Matiwane
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The 2026 World Cup felt a little bit closer on Thursday when five-time World Cup champions Brazil took on France in a friendly match in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. 

This was an opportunity for the American public to see a stellar group of soccer stars on home turf. These stars included Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Vinícius Júnior, and Raphinha, and they did not disappoint.

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Mbappe, the captain, showed no signs of the knee problem that had troubled him in recent weeks. He opened the scoring in the first half, while Hugo Ekitike found the net after Dayot Upamecano was sent off 10 minutes into the second half, while Gleison Bremer of Brazil pulled one goal back, making a friendly 2-1 despite the French team being reduced to 10 men early in the second half. 

Brazil looked much more energised in the second half, and created a flurry of chances early on. But 10-man France were not to be defeated when Hugo Ekitike doubled their lead. 

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Vinicus Jr. continued to torment France’s defence, but no second goal came for the Brazilians despite mounting pressure in the last minutes of the game. 

Speaking in his post-match interview, Mbappe said, “For us, it was not a friendly. Playing Brazil is a great opportunity to see where we stand tactically and technically. It’s great to play matches like this.

I said before the game we should not conclude it, so I’m not going to be hypocritical and treat it like a World Cup final. We showed creativity and remained solid. We’re moving forward. All I want is to be on the pitch and play; every kid dreams of playing a France-Brazil match. I know it’s a privilege.” 

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Feature Image: Gettys

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