Brazil defeats India 4-0 in Kolkata friendly behind Samuel Lino brace

First-half dominance in Kolkata

Brazil secured a 4-0 victory over India in an international friendly on Saturday afternoon at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, also known as the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. A crowd of 51,000 spectators watched the first meeting between the two men's national teams under conditions of high heat and humidity. Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti made eight changes to his starting lineup compared to the squad that defeated Australia 4-2 on Tuesday, keeping only Vinicius Junior, Danilo, and Gabriel Bontempo in the side from the opening whistle. Chelsea winger Estevao opened the scoring in the 28th minute after receiving a pass inside the penalty box from Mateuzinho, finishing with a left-footed strike at the near post past Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. Brazil doubled the lead in the 42nd minute when Estevao provided a defence-splitting pass to Flamengo striker Pedro, who beat the Bengaluru FC goalkeeper to make it 2-0 before the interval.

Second-half rotation and Lino brace

Both managers made extensive changes at the start of the second half, with Ancelotti introducing Bruno Guimaraes, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Samuel Lino onto the pitch. In the 58th minute, Pedro set up Lino inside the area, and the 26-year-old Flamengo winger placed a low shot into the bottom right corner past substitute goalkeeper Prabhsukhan Singh Gill. Real Madrid forward Endrick entered the match in the 60th minute as Brazil continued to control possession despite heavy squad rotation. Lino completed his brace in stoppage time at the 90+5 mark, dribbling past two Indian defenders before scoring his second goal of the match and concluding the 4-0 scoreline.

India tactical setup and missed opportunities

India, ranked 138th in the FIFA world rankings and managed by Khalid Jamil, opened the match using a low midfield defensive block and an offside trap directed at Vinicius Junior on the left flank. The host nation relied on long balls directed toward lone forward Manvir Singh during early attacking transitions, creating occasional pressure on the Brazilian back line. India failed to convert their offensive opportunities, with both Manvir and Ryan Williams missing chances to score across the ninety minutes. The loss extended India's winless streak to six consecutive matches, though the Kolkata crowd offered vocal support to both squads throughout the contest. Sandhu was substituted after the first half for East Bengal goalkeeper Gill, who conceded Brazil's final two goals.

Tour conclusion and November schedule

The result concluded Brazil's tour of Australia and India with two wins and one draw. The South American side had previously drawn the first match of the series against Australia before recording a 4-2 victory over the Socceroos on Tuesday, despite losing winger Raphinha to an injury sustained during that second Australian fixture. Ancelotti utilized the three-match window to experiment with different tactical combinations following Brazil's campaign at the 2026 World Cup. The Brazilian national team will return to international action in mid-November for two additional friendly matches in Asia, facing Japan on 14 November and Singapore on 17 November.