The 'Samba Football' Brazil national football team held its second consecutive day of official training on the 7th at the Goyang Sports Complex auxiliary stadium, ahead of its friendly match against the Republic of Korea on October 10th. Despite the absence of Neymar Júnior (Al-Hilal) from the squad due to injury, the Brazilian national team, under the guidance of coach Carlo Ancelotti, showcased the presence of global superstars and approached the training session with serious intent.
The training session proceeded with a complete squad, including players who had arrived late due to club commitments. Stars familiar to South Korean fans, such as Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo (both Real Madrid), Richarlison (who was a teammate of Son Heung-min at Tottenham Hotspur), and veteran Manchester United midfielder Casemiro, who dominate the top European leagues, all participated and warmed up.
Before the start of the training, with the players gathered, Coach Ancelotti and the coaching staff delivered a short but intense message before immediately commencing the session. The players started their warm-up with short-distance runs, adjusting the intensity under the control of the coaches. This was followed by ball-work drills, where the players focused on organizational play and tactical training, exchanging dribbles and passes with rapid movement.
The Brazilian national team seemed to regard this trip to South Korea as an important fixture on par with a World Cup. Despite the fatigue from jet lag and long-distance travel, the players' expressions remained consistently serious, and their training attitude was highly proactive.
Meanwhile, a large contingent of Brazilian local media gathered at the training ground, engaging in fervent coverage. According to a Korea Football Association (KFA) official, a remarkable 30 Brazilian reporters visited the Goyang auxiliary stadium to film their national team's training session. This demonstrates the high level of interest in Brazil for this two-match Asian tour against South Korea and Japan.
FIFA-ranked 5th (or 6th, depending on the source) Brazil will clash with South Korea (FIFA-ranked 23rd) at 8:00 PM on October 10th at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, and then travel to Japan to play against the Japanese national team on the 14th in Tokyo.
This visit by the Brazilian national team is their first in approximately 3 years and 4 months since June 2022. Notably, although Neymar is out with an injury, the current squad boasts superstars with some of the highest market values in European football, including Vinícius Júnior, Manchester United midfielder Casemiro (worth approximately 22.3 billion KRW), Real Madrid forward Rodrygo (approx. 27.5 billion KRW), and Vinícius Júnior (approx. 34.3 billion KRW), who boasts the highest annual salary among the players called up for this session. The total annual salary of these players is reportedly over 200 billion KRW.
The South Korean national football team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, will have another friendly match against another South American powerhouse, Paraguay, at the same venue on October 14th, following the Brazil match. South Korea is at a disadvantage against Brazil in their historical head-to-head record, with 1 win and 7 losses in 8 matches. As South Korea has not secured a victory against Brazil since 1999, this match is expected to be a strong test for "Hong Myung-bo's Team" in preparation for the upcoming 2026 North American World Cup. Following away evaluation matches against the United States and Mexico during the September A-match period, South Korea will continue its path toward the World Cup by checking its competitiveness against two South American powerhouses in October.
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