Without Neymar, Brazil struggles to beat Egypt ahead of World Cup

(Football results) - Brazil had a fairly challenging preparation match before the 2026 World Cup, beating Egypt 2-1 in a friendly played in the United States.

Despite being heavily favored, the Selecao did not have an easy game against the African side. From the opening minutes, Brazil constantly pressured the goalkeeper Oufa Shobeir. After a few missed chances, Carlo Ancelotti's team broke the deadlock in the 7th minute. Capitalizing on an Egyptian defensive error, Bruno Guimaraes stole the ball just outside the box and fired a decisive shot past the keeper, giving Brazil the lead.

However, the Selecao's advantage lasted only four minutes. In the 11th minute, Brazil's defense lacked concentration, allowing Mostafa Ziko to score with a precise strike from the edge of the box, leveling the score at 1-1 for Egypt. The remainder of the first half saw significant pressure from Brazil, but their yellow-and-blue strikers repeatedly missed chances against the outstanding performance of goalkeeper Oufa Shobeir.

In the second half, coach Carlo Ancelotti made a series of substitutions to test his lineup. These adjustments quickly paid off. In the 52nd minute, Raphinha delivered a convenient pass for Endrick to break into the box and finish neatly, making it 2-1 for Brazil. This proved to be the decisive goal of the match.

In the remaining time, Egypt pushed forward in search of an equalizer, with Mohamed Salah appearing after the break. The African side created several notable chances through Ahmed Fatouh, Emam Ashour, and Hamza Abdelkarim, but could not beat goalkeeper Weverton and Brazil's defense. Meanwhile, the Selecao also had a few dangerous counterattacks but failed to capitalize.

Ultimately, Brazil secured a 2-1 victory over Egypt, giving them a favorable warm-up for the biggest football festival on the planet. At 7:30 a.m. on June 10, the Selecao will play their final pre-World Cup friendly against the USA before entering Group C competition against Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland.

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