International Friendlies • FT
Brazil
FranceUnited StatesSeason 2026Round 0
France secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Brazil, demonstrating impressive resilience after playing the final 35 minutes with ten men. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a delicate chip over Ederson following a defensive lapse from Léo Pereira.
France appeared to be cruising when Hugo Ekitiké doubled the lead in the 65th minute, finishing a well-placed shot after a line-breaking pass from Michael Olise. However, the match took a dramatic turn when Dayot Upamecano was shown a straight red card for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
Brazil capitalized on the numerical advantage in the 78th minute when Gleison Bremer bundled the ball home during a goal-mouth scramble to make it 2-1. Despite a relentless assault on the French goal in the closing minutes—including a 97th-minute chance from Bremer that whistled just wide of the post—the French defense, anchored by Mike Maignan, held firm to secure the win in front of over 60,000 fans.