In a massive football fixture on Monday, Japan host Brazil at the National Stadium, Tokyo. Japan have never beaten Brazil, and this match-up presents a chance for the Blue Samurai to create history. Selecao, still smarting from Argentina's cancellation of their Superclasico, will hope to end the Asian tour on a high with another facile win. They beat South Korea 5-1 on Thursday. (More Football News)
Both Japan and Brazil have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Brazil eased through the CONMEBOL qualifiers, winning 14 out of 17 fixtures while conceding just five goals. But Tite's men are a grumpy lot after Argentina pulled out of their Superclasico fixture, which was scheduled for June 11 at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Then, Argentina defeated Italy in the Finalissima, a one-off clash between the champions of South America and Europe. Neymar was especially very annoyed, having seen the Argentine celebration at Wembley. The PSG superstar asked, "Did they win the World Cup?". Meanwhile, Lionel Messi & Co. can extend their unbeaten run to 33 matches when they take on Estonia on Sunday.
Japan also dominated their World Cup qualifying. In Qatar this winter, they will make a seventh successive World Cup appearance. So, the focus is on their preparations. And no fixture trumps the one against Brazil. Hajime Moriyasu's side will also take on Ghana on June 10 in the Kirin Cup. By the way, Japan were brilliant in their 4-1 win against Paraguay on Thursday.
Btw, Japan are in Group E, which also has Spain and Germany, besides the winners of CONCACAF–OFC playoff winners. Brazil are in Group G, along with Cameroon, Serbia and Switzerland.
Japan vs Brazil football match details
Match: Japan vs Brazil, International friendly
Date: June 6 (Monday), 2022
Time: 3:50 PM IST/10:20 AM local time
Venue: Japan National Stadium, Tokyo
How to watch Japan vs Brazil football match live
Japan vs Brazil international friendly match will not be available in India. In Japan, fans can watch the match on NTV. In Brazil, the match is available on Canais Globo, NOW NET e Claro, SporTV and Globo.
Check global TV listing HERE.
Japan vs Brazil head-to-head record
Brazil have won all but two matches against Japan in their previous 12 meetings. The other two ended in draws, 0-0 at FIFA Confederations Cup 2001 and 2-2 at FIFA Confederations Cup 2005. And it's all wins for Brazil in the last five meetings. But this is their first meeting since November 2017.
For the record, Brazil have lost only one of their last 26 matches, the blip being the Copa America final against Argentina.
Likely starting XIs
Japan: Daniel Schmidt; Miki Yamane, Shogo Taniguchi, Maya Yoshida, Junya Ito; Daichi Kamada, Ao Tanaka, Wataru Endo; Kyogo Furuhashi, Takumi Minamino, Takuma Asano.
Brazil: Alisson Becker; Dani Alves, Marquinhos, Eder Militao, Alex Sandro; Fabinho, Bruno Guimaraes; Rodrygo, Lucas Paqueta, Neymar; Gabriel Jesus.
