Brazil and Australia meet in Friday friendly ahead of Asian Cup and new cycle
Brazil's and Australia's national football teams played a friendly in Townsville on Friday, a match that serves as Asian Cup preparation for Australia and as coach Carlo Ancelotti's first post-World Cup test for Brazil with several new faces.
The match and its context
Brazil and Australia played a friendly match on Friday, September 25, at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville. Kick-off was at 12:00 French time. According to RMC Sport, the match was refereed by Japan's Ryo Tanimoto. The two teams will meet again four days later, at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
The game was not broadcast in France. In Australia it aired on Channel 10 and Paramount+, while in Brazil it was shown on SporTV and Globo, according to ParisFans.
Ancelotti trusts Europe-based players
This was Brazil's first match since the World Cup, and head coach Carlo Ancelotti called up several newcomers, relying mainly on players based in Europe. The attacking quartet featured Vinicius Jr, Raphinha, Estevão and Endrick. As Foot Mercato notes, the latter two have seen little club playing time lately — Estevão has made seven appearances for Chelsea this season, while Endrick has played just once. They started alongside Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos (32), as well as Hugo Souza, Douglas Santos, Vitor Reis, Matheuzinho, Bruno Guimarães and Danilo.
ParisFans notes that although this is only a friendly, there is still pressure on Brazil, a country that has long struggled to live up to expectations, and Ancelotti's task is to restore the team's confidence.
Australia prepares for the Asian Cup
Australia's squad gathered for the first time since being eliminated in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup in July. According to Yahoo Actualités, the two matches against Brazil are important preparation for the AFC Asian Cup, which begins in January in Saudi Arabia. Experienced midfielder Jackson Irvine urged his teammates to raise their level, stressing that the squad must keep progressing after an impressive World Cup campaign. Meanwhile, 20-year-old winger Nestory Irankunda, who recently completed a move from Watford to Sporting CP, expressed confidence in the new generation of players, including teenagers Lucas Herrington and Dylan Leonard, alongside Alessandro Circati, Patrick Beach, Paul Okon-Engstler, Kasey Bos and Marcus Younis. Australia is coached by Tony Popovic, who set up his side in a 3-4-2-1 formation.
Course of the match
According to data compiled by RMC Sport, Brazil had more possession — 53% to Australia's 47% — and created more clear chances, registering three shots on target compared to Australia's one. The final score was not stated in the sources.
