Brazil and Egypt have confirmed their starting teams for their meeting in an international friendly in Cleveland on Saturday.
The five-time world champions start head coach Carlo Ancelotti’s first experience of the finals against Haiti on June 20 (01:30 BST).
Record seven-time African champions Egypt have never won a match at the World Cup and play their opening group game against Belgium on June 15.
Talisman Mohamed Salah scored nine goals in nine matches as part of The Pharaohs’ unbeaten qualification campaign.
Seleção Brasileira desembarca em Cleveland ✈️🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/Lqchx4Aw3u
— brasil (@CBF_Futebol) June 6, 2026
World Cup 2026 friendly: Brazil confirmed team vs Egypt
Brazil make five changes from their 6-2 home win over Panama in a friendly on May 31, bringing in Marquinhos, Roger Ibanez, Douglas Santos, Lucas Paqueta and Igor Thiago.
Gleison Bremer, Leo Pereira, Alex Sandro, Luiz Henrique and Matheus Cunha move to the bench.
The country’s all-time top scorer, Neymar, is staying in New Jersey to continue rehabilitation on an injured left calf.
Defender Eder Militao (thigh) and winger Willian Estavao (hamstring) are out of the finals and centre-back Gabriel is on the bench after representing Arsenal in the Champions League final last Saturday.
Brazil starting XI: Alisson Becker, Wesley Franca, Marquinhos, Roger Ibanez, Douglas Santos, Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes, Lucas Paqueta, Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Igor Thiago
Brazil substitutes: Weverton, Ederson, Gabriel Magalhaes, Alex Sandro, Danilo, Gleison Bremer, Leo Pereira, Fabinho, Danilo Santos, Matheus Cunha, Endrick, Luiz Henrique, Gabriel Martinelli, Rayan
World Cup 2026 warm-up: Egypt full line up vs Brazil
Egypt make four alterations from their 1-0 friendly win over Russia in Cairo on May 28, when Pyramids winger Zizo’s header proved decisive.
Their matchwinner moves to the bench, as does Nice centre-half Mohamed Abdelmoneim, who made his international comeback from a long-term knee injury in that game, and Karim Hafez and Emam Ashour.
Ahmed Fatouh, Haissem Hassan, Mohamed Hamdy and Mostafa Ziko come in.
Omar Marmoush starts again, having scored three goals in 21 Premier League appearances for Manchester City last season, and Salah, who missed two games with a hamstring issue for Liverpool last month and was rested against Russia, is on the bench.
Egypt starting XI: Mostafa Shobeir, Ahmed Fatouh, Mohamed Hamdy, Yasser Ibrahim, Mohamed Hany, Marwan Attia, Mohanad Lasheen, Mostafa Ziko, Trezeguet, Haissem Hassan, Omar Marmoush
Egypt substitutes: Mohamed El Shenawy, El Mahdy Soliman, Mohamed Alaa, Tarek Alaa, Karim Hafez, Mohamed Abdelmoneim, Ramy Rabia, Hossam Abdelmaguid, Nabil Emad, Mahmoud Saber, Emam Ashour, Zizo, Ibrahim Adel, Mohamed Salah, Hamza Abdelkarim
Where to watch Brazil v Egypt: TV channel, live online streams
Kick-off on Saturday is at 23:00 BST (18:00 ET / 15:00 PT). Live coverage in the UK is on ITVX.
Fans can stream the action via ITV’s website and the ITVX app, which is available on a vast variety of devices for viewing on the go.
Brazil v Egypt stats
- Brazil have won all six meetings between the nations, most recently winning a friendly 2-0 in Al-Rayyan in 2011 through goals by then-Valencia forward Jonas
- They have conceded in each of their last four matches (including friendlies) and five of the last six, conceding nine in total across those games
- Three of Brazil’s last six African opponents have beaten them (W2), although their 2-0 win over Senegal in London and 1-1 draw with Tunisia in Lille in November – both friendlies – mean they are unbeaten in two against such teams
- Botafogo midfielder Danilo and Brentford forward Igor Thiago have each scored once in both of Brazil’s last two matches
- Barcelona’s Raphinha was their five-goal top scorer in qualifying, although the 29-year-old has not scored for his country since a 2-1 home win over Colombia in March 2025
- This will be the eighth friendly of Carlo Ancelotti’s 12-match reign, with the Italian’s four World Cup qualifiers between June and September 2025 producing draws in Ecuador and Bolivia either side of home wins over Paraguay and Chile
- Egypt would have held Brazil in the Confederations Cup in Bloemfontein in 2009 but for a 90th-minute penalty by Kaka as the 2007 Ballon d’Or winner’s side won 4-3
- They have kept clean sheets in their last four matches, going more than six hours and 42 minutes without conceding
- In three appearances at the World Cup, Egypt have never won a game. They lost all three of their matches at the 2018 edition and earned two points in 1990
- Mohamed Salah needs two goals to match head coach Hossam Hassan’s all-time record of 69 goals for Egypt
