BRASILIA: Record five-times world champions Brazil expect to be playing England at Wembley next year as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the Football Association writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

That possibility was talked up by CBF president Jose Maria Marin while confirming that Brazil, World Cup hosts in 2014 and thus denied competitive action, will play Portugal twice next year.

Marin said: “We have arranged to play two friendlies with Portugal, one game in Sao Paulo and another in Portugal. We have only to decide the dates. We will also definitely be playing against England in England next year.”

Brazil will play friendlies against South Africa in Sao Paulo on September 7 then China three days later in Recife.

Brazilian sources had suggested earlier this year that the match against England might be staged on or around October 26, the precise anniversary of the first meeting of the FA in the Freemasons’ Tavern on Long Acre in central London.

Marin met FA officials earlier this month when he was in London attending the Olympic Games in which Brazil lost, surprisingly, in the gold medal final to Mexico.

The FA is creating a significant programme of events throughout the year and a prestige friendly against Brazil has always featured in the planning – along with England’s first meeting with Scotland in what would be 14 years. The repeat of the world’s first-ever international is likely to be fitted into the ‘august friendly’ slot. The last time they met was in the European Championship qualifiers in November 1999 when Scotland won 1-0 at Wembley.

 

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