Brazil and Croatia Clash in International Friendly Ahead of World Cup

The two World Cup contenders meet for the first time since Croatia's penalty shootout victory over Brazil in Qatar.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 9:06pm

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A fractured, geometric painting depicting a soccer match between Brazil and Croatia, with the players and field broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color in the style of Pablo Picasso.The upcoming Brazil-Croatia friendly promises an intense clash between two World Cup contenders, with the match's raw energy and competitive spirit captured in a Cubist-inspired illustration.Today in Orlando

Brazil and Croatia will face off in an international friendly match in Orlando, Florida on Tuesday evening. The two national teams last met in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Croatia defeated Brazil in a dramatic penalty shootout. While Brazil has since hired Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager in a bid to end their 24-year World Cup drought, Croatia remains led by Zlatko Dalić. Both teams will be looking to gain momentum ahead of this summer's World Cup, where Brazil will take on Morocco and Croatia will meet England in the group stage.

Why it matters

This friendly match provides an opportunity for Brazil and Croatia to assess their progress and make any necessary adjustments before the start of the World Cup. As two of the tournament favorites, the outcome of this match could offer valuable insights into how the teams stack up against each other and provide a preview of a potential rematch in the later stages of the World Cup.

The details

Brazil is coming off a disappointing 2-1 loss to France in their previous friendly, while Croatia recently defeated Colombia 1-0. Both teams will be missing key players, with Brazil's top scorer in qualifying sidelined due to a hamstring injury. The match will be played at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida and will be broadcast live on ESPN2 in the United States and ITV 4 in the United Kingdom.

  • The match will kick off at 7:30 PM EDT on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

The players

Carlo Ancelotti

The new manager of the Brazilian national team, hired in an effort to end Brazil's 24-year World Cup drought.

Zlatko Dalić

The head coach of the Croatian national team, who led them to a surprise run to the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals.

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What they’re saying

“We know Brazil will be looking to avenge their World Cup defeat, but we're ready to show that our success in Qatar was no fluke.”

— Zlatko Dalić, Head Coach, Croatia National Team

“This friendly is an important step in our preparations for the World Cup. We need to show that we've learned from our mistakes and are ready to compete for the title.”

— Carlo Ancelotti, Head Coach, Brazil National Team

What’s next

Both Brazil and Croatia will continue their World Cup preparations with additional friendlies in the coming months. The two teams are scheduled to meet again during the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, where they will face off in a highly anticipated rematch.

The takeaway

This friendly between Brazil and Croatia represents an important test for both teams as they gear up for the 2026 World Cup. The match will provide valuable insights into their respective strengths and weaknesses, and could serve as a preview of a potential knockout round clash later in the tournament.