Save the date: Brazil to play India in a friendly on 3 October in Kolkata

There is some exciting news in store for Kolkata football fans – the eternal Selecao fans. Come 3rd October, five-time world champions Brazil will take on the Indian football team in a friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium.

 While a news report from Brazil had been circulating about the possibility of a such a match for the past week, the visit has now been finalised between Brazil Football Confederation (CBF) and the All India Football Federation (AIFF). This will be the third match of Brazil’s tour in October FIFA window – with the first two friendlies against Australia on 25 September and 29 in Townsville and Brisbane, respectively.

 The state government, according to the sources, is ‘’supporting the event in a big way’’ though the price tag for the appearance fee for Carlo Ancelotti’s men could not be ascertained.  

 The fixture would be one of the biggest matches in the history of Indian football – with the last fixture of this stature was in 2011 when Lionel Messi’s Argentina played a friendly against Venezuela in Kolkata. Incidentally, the closest the football crazy Kolkata crowd came to seeing the Brazilian icons was nearly 50 years back when the ‘King’ Pele and Carlos Alberto turned out for New York Cosmos against Mohun Bagan in 1977.

 The city had in between hosted football’s iconic names like Diego Maradona twice, Ronaldinho and others while Messi’s much-hyped visit last December had proved to be a law and order disaster. The match will be, meanwhile, a windfall for Blue Tigers – now languishing 138 in FIFA rankings – as it would give them a rare opportunity to test themselves against one of the most decorated teams in international football.