Top 5 youngsters to watch out for in Brazil's squad vs India
India are set to play Brazil on October 3, 2026, at the Salt Lake Stadium.
In what is expected to be a cannon event and what could potentially be a game changer for Indian football in the long term, Brazil, the nation that’s ranked fifth in the FIFA global rankings, is all set for a surprise clash against India, who are placed at 138 and rightly so given their performances over the last two to three years.
Not just a clash against Brazil, but an opportunity to host Brazil at home presents India with a chance to catch the attention of a lot of European football fans and make them fall in love with the Indian football team. The match is scheduled to take place on October 3 at 19:00 IST at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
While the magnitude of this game is huge and possibly the biggest ever for India in the recent past, as far as Brazil and Carlo Ancelotti are concerned, the September-October FIFA window marks the start of the next four-year cycle, as this will be the first game the Selecao play after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
This presents them with an opportunity to discard some of the senior players and a few players who have underperformed in NT colors for quite some time now and introduce a new set of players and youngsters to possibly mould them and get a proper system and playing style in place ahead of the next Copa America and FIFA World Cup, especially against a weaker opposition like India.
That’s exactly what Carlo Ancelotti has gone on to do with the squad that he has picked for the friendlies against India and Australia. Senior players like Neymar (retired), Danilo and Casemiro, who featured in the World Cup, are missing from the squad, while the likes of Matheus Cunha and the goalkeeping duo of Alisson and Ederson have been left out as well.
Despite the omission of key senior players, Carlo Ancelotti has included numerous young players, and here are five of them who could have a breakout campaign with the national team during the friendly against India.
Vitor Reis – Manchester City
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As Brazil and Carlo Ancelotti look to build a pool of center-backs for the national team beyond the likes of Marquinhos and Gabriel, the head coach has handed another senior team call-up to Vitor Reis, who was part of the Selecao’s squad in March, where he was named on the bench in a 1-0 victory against Croatia, although he did not play any minutes.
Reis, coming off the back of a successful season at Girona, has returned to his parent club Manchester City and is expected to continue at the club as one of the defensive options under new head coach Enzo Maresca.
Widely regarded as one of the best up-and-coming defenders with huge potential, Reis is exceptional at the back with his positional awareness on and off the ball. He is also aerially dominant and has decent technical abilities to play out from the back. With Vitor Reis, Carlo Ancelotti can make use of his recovery pace to commit more men forward and play a high line.
Arthur Dias – Athletico Paranaense
Arthur Dias, the 19-year-old defender from Athletico Paranaense’s renowned youth system, has earned his first call-up to the senior national team after a brilliant season in the Brazilian Serie A last season. Dias, a centre-back by trade, can also fill in as a left-back if required, thanks to his versatility.
Arthur is not new to the national team setup, as he has been through the U-17 and U-20 teams, playing a crucial part for the Brazilian U-20 squad that ended up winning the CONMEBOL Sub-20 Championship in 2025. This time around, he’ll be representing the senior team, a testament to and reward for his hard work over the years.
Arthur Dias is a left-footed defender who has a commanding aerial presence combined with good defensive positioning. His profile also suits that of a modern center-back, as he is composed under pressure on the ball. His profile looks similar to that of Gabriel, and he could be developed as an understudy for the Arsenal center-back.
Rayan – AFC Bournemouth
Rayan is not someone new to the Brazilian national team setup, as the winger was already part of the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Following Raphinha’s injury in the tournament, Rayan became a starter on the right wing and even registered an assist against Scotland.
Rayan is an explosive right winger who is direct in his approach when taking on defenders to get past them. For a player of his height and physique, Rayan possesses excellent agility and can quickly turn defensive actions into dangerous counterattacks with his pace. His defensive work rate is another aspect of the game that Carlo Ancelotti values highly.
Although he recently scored in the EFL Cup win against Lincoln City, he is yet to score in the first three games of the 2026/27 Premier League season.
Also Read: Who is Rayan? Brazil’s wonderkid at FIFA World Cup 2026
Estevao – Chelsea
Estevao, the Brazilian wonderkid who shook the world with his impressive performances at Palmeiras as a teenage sensation, is back in the national team setup after previously featuring regularly in the squad under former head coach Dorival Junior and during the initial camps under Carlo Ancelotti. However, he missed out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup squad due to a Grade 4 hamstring injury.
He now returns to the national team to bring electrifying pace, flair and a bit of Samba magic to the wings. Estevao takes advantage of his low center of gravity while using his close control in tight spaces to get past defenders with ease on the wings. His trademark left-footed shooting is something the Indian defenders and goalkeeper will have to watch out for.
Although he has not yet started a league game under Xabi Alonso, the Chelsea winger has looked dangerous with every run from the right flank in the limited minutes he has received. He has already scored five times for the senior national team in just 11 appearances, which is an extraordinary number for a teenager.
Endrick – Real Madrid
Endrick is not new to the senior national team setup, and neither is the Endrick and Carlo Ancelotti banter that has taken over social media. But this time around, we could actually see Endrick get more minutes for the national team and feature consistently, as the two main striking options, Matheus Cunha and Igor Thiago, have been left out of the squad.
Endrick has already shown everyone what he is capable of. He featured in the FIFA World Cup with appearances off the bench and has already registered six goal contributions for the senior national team so far. He’s an explosive striker with an explosive left foot and aggressive pressing to unsettle opposition defenders with his direct running. He also has good hold-up abilities, and Carlo Ancelotti would be hoping to prepare him as a long-term solution to Brazil’s striker issues.
Although Endrick has not played any minutes in La Liga so far due to his recovery from a muscular injury, Carlo Ancelotti has placed faith in the youngster to get fit and ready for the upcoming friendlies.
When is India’s friendly against Brazil scheduled?
India are set to play against Brazil on October 3rd at 19:00 PM IST at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata.
Is Neymar part of Brazil’s squad for India friendly?
No, Neymar hasn’t been called up by Carlo Ancelloti from Brazil’s recent squad for India friendly as the Santos forward has retired from NT.
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