Indian men will play their biggest-ever football match in Kolkata on Saturday against the mighty Brazil.
The FIFA friendly between India and Brazil will take place at the VYBK (Salt Lake Stadium) in Kolkata, starting at 7.30 pm.
The five-time world champions are India's highest-ranked opponents ever, going by the FIFA ranking system that was introduced in 1992.
Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil are ranked 6th in the world, sandwiched by Morocco and Portugal, with defending world champions Spain holding the top position. India, meanwhile, languish in the 138th position; not even in the top-20 in Asia.
It is a mismatch in terms of pedigree and talent. But it is an opportunity like no other and that realisation alone should encourage the Men in Blue to give it their best.
India can take encouragement from the fact that their most recent outing, a friendly with the 46th-ranked Panama, on September 25, ended in a 1-1 draw.
But Brazil are a different beast, who regularly play against other top-ranked sides. They beat Australia 4-2 after a 1-1 draw in a series of friendlies in September.
A defeat for Khalid Jamil's men against Brazil would not be discouraging. But a win or even a draw could transform the fortunes of the Asian side that has never come close to playing a World Cup.
At the FIFA World Cup held this year, Norway knocked out Brazil in the round-of-16. It was the last outing for superstar Neymar.
What they said!
"They are the best team. They are known as the best of the best," Indian head coach Khalid Jamil said on Friday. "They are defensively very strong. Their attack is good," he said.
Jamil bumped into Ancelotti during the pre-match press conferences and received a warm embrace from the legendary coach.
"It is an honour for us to be here with the national team," Ancelotti said during the press conference. "We know how much this region loves the national team and football. We are happy to be here to play against India and show the quality of our players."
Barcelona star Raphinha is injured, but there is no shortage of superstars in Brazil. The likes of Vinicius Junior, Estevao, and Bruno Guimaraes will line up against India. It is a frightening proposition if you are an Indian player. But defender Anwar Ali appeared confident.
"We just have to focus. Because everyone knows how Brazil play. So, we just have to keep calm in the field. And deal with the pressure," Anwar Ali said. India have another big friendly coming up, against Uruguay, at the same venue, on October 6.
The squads:
India: Goalkeepers: Albino Gomes, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Som Kumar.Defenders: Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Akash Mishra, Anwar Ali, Bijoy Varghese, Hmingthanmawia Ralte, Jay Gupta, Pramveer, Ricky Meetei Haobam.Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Ashique Kuruniyan, Farukh Choudhary, Lalengmawia Ralte, Macarton Nickson, Mohammed Sanan, Ricky Shabong, Sahal Abdul Samad.Forwards: Edmund Lalrindika, Irfan Yadwad, Manvir Singh, Rahim Ali, Ryan Williams, Vikram Partap Singh.
Brazil: Goalkeepers: Hugo Souza, Pedro Morisco, OtavioDefenders: Arthur Dias, Douglas Santos, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jair, Marquinhos, Matheuzinho, Mauro Junior, Vitor Reis, Wesley.Midfielders: Andrey Santos, Breno Bidon, Bruno Guimaraes, Danilo, Douglas Luiz, Gabriel Bontempo.Forwards: Endrick, Estevao, Joao Pedro, Pedro, Rayan, Samuel Lino, Vinicius Junior.