England vs Brazil predictions: Glamour friendly to end all-square
- England are on a 10-match unbeaten run since the 2022 World Cup
- Brazil have only lost four of 26 previous meetings with the Three Lions
- Recommended bet: Draw
International friendlies do not get more mouth-watering than a showdown between England and Brazil, with the two heavyweights of the men's game set to face off at Wembley on Saturday.
England are unbeaten in their last 10 matches since losing to France in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup and this fixture will see Gareth Southgate's side step up their preparations for Euro 2024.
Brazil also have a major tournament to prepare for – this summer's Copa America – but unlike England the Selecao are badly out of form, losing their final three matches of 2023, their worst sequence for 22 years.
New head coach Dorival Junior takes charge of the five-time world champions for the first time on Saturday, as Brazil look to start 2024 on a positive note.
Team news
England could hand international debuts to four players, with Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo having received a late call-up to the squad, where he has joined fellow uncapped squad members Jarrad Branthwaite, Anthony Gordon and Ezri Konsa.
With captain Harry Kane struggling with an ankle injury and the likes of Bukayo Saka and Jordan Henderson having had limited time on the training pitch this week, Southgate could look to experiment with his starting XI.
Brazil's team may also have an unfamiliar look with 11 uncapped players having been included in Dorival Junior's first squad.
With regular goalkeepers Ederson and Alisson out injured, there will definitely be a debut in goal, with Bento, Leo Jardim and Rafael all yet to win their first caps.
The stats
England have recorded eight wins and two draws since last losing to France at the World Cup, although one of those stalemates did come in their final fixture of 2023 against North Macedonia.
The Three Lions have only won four of 26 previous meetings with Brazil and just one of those successes has come in the last 34 years – a 2-1 friendly victory in February 2013 when Frank Lampard scored the winning goal.
Three of the last five meetings between these two sides have finished all-square, including their most recent clash, a 0-0 friendly draw at Wembley in 2017.
Brazil are currently on their worst run for 22 years, having lost their last three matches, with all of those defeats coming in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, against Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina.
The Selecao have only won three of their last 10 matches and they have not beaten Saturday’s opponents on English soil since a 3-1 success at the 1995 Umbro Cup.
Prediction
Whether through choice or necessity, both of these sides are likely to experiment significantly during this match, with the focus being more on preparing for upcoming tournaments rather than the actual result.
That being said, neither side will want to lose and recent history suggests that a draw is a likely outcome, with three of the last five meetings, including the most recent two, ending all-square.
There certainly should not be much between two teams who sit third and fifth in the latest FIFA world rankings and nobody would be surprised to see the contest end level.
Win up to £250,000 with LiveScore 6!
Win up to £250,000 with LiveScore 6, our free-to-play game!
