Brazil haven’t taken on European opposition since a March 2019 friendly against the Czech Republic. The last time they went this long without meeting a rival from Europe was before the 1954 World Cup.
The anomaly has brought questions at nearly every press conference and, for a while, served to downplay the team’s record-breaking qualifying form. The Selecao won 14 of 17 games (the clash against Argentina that was abandoned for COVID-19 shenanigans was ultimately cancelled), racking up 40 goals and conceding just five.
But such is the excitement around Brazil now, the mood has drastically altered. Essentially,
