France, Brazil weigh up World Cup prospects

Foxborough, Massachusetts—Less than 100 days before the 2026 World Cup kicks off, two of football’s traditional superpowers will use Thursday night’s glamour friendly at Gillette Stadium as a mid-term exam for their summer ambitions. Brazil, ranked fifth in the world, and third-ranked France have converged on the United States this week to acclimatise to the time zones, temperatures and training bases they will re-visit in June and July, and nothing short of a full-blooded rehearsal is expected when they meet for the first time in exactly 11 years.

The occasion revives memories of March 2015, when Brazil overturned a half-time deficit at the Stade de France to win 3-1 through goals from Oscar, Neymar and Luiz Gustavo. Since then the Seleção have lifted no senior silverware and arrive here bruised from a qualifying campaign that featured six defeats in 18 matches and a fifth-place finish in South America. The appointment of Carlo Ancelotti—officially unveiled last month—has been tasked with restoring swagger to a squad that has not tasted World Cup glory since 2002.

Ancelotti’s rebuild is already visible in the team sheet. Neymar, 34 and without an international appearance since October 2023, was not cleared to travel. “It is a physical issue, not technical,” the coach explained. “With the ball he is great, but he needs to improve physically. In my eyes—and those of my staff—he is not at 100 percent.” Instead, the spotlight falls on Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, while Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes and Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes sit out this camp. Among the newcomers is 19-year-old Rayan, the Bournemouth winger whose Premier League impact since January earned an maiden call-up.

France, meanwhile, have their own fitness saga to monitor. Captain Kylian Mbappe only returned to Real Madrid action last week after a knee complaint, but the 27-year-old insists he never feared missing the tournament. “It is behind me,” he said on the eve of departure. “I hope to be able to play during this international break and to start being decisive again.” Coach Didier Deschamps, who will step down after the World Cup to end a 14-year reign, has lost William Saliba to injury and drafted in Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix. The squad is headquartered in the same Boston hotel that will serve as their base this summer, underscoring the preparatory nature of the trip.

Deschamps’ legacy is already secure—World Cup winner as player and manager—but the identity of his successor dominates French headlines. Federation president Philippe Diallo told Le Figaro this week that he “knows his name,” a coy nod to the widely held assumption that Zinedine Zidane will take the reins once the final whistle blows on France’s campaign.

Thursday’s match will be the first competitive meeting of the sides since the 2006 World Cup quarter-final, when a Thierry Henry strike and a vintage Zidane performance sent France through en route to the final. If both nations top their groups in 2026, they could only meet again in the final itself—a scenario neither camp is shy about contemplating.

For now, the task is simpler: emerge from Foxborough unscathed, head to Orlando for Sunday’s friendly against Croatia—Brazil’s conqueror in Qatar 2022—and leave with a clearer picture of how close each giant is to peak condition. The world will be watching for early clues.