England and Brazil lock horns at Wembley in an international friendly on Saturday night in the first meeting between the sides for seven years.
Both will have eyes on their respective major tournaments coming up in the summer, seeing this as preparation and a solid test of their credentials.
The Three Lions boast many of the world's greatest players at present, and while this Brazil side cannot lay claim to be as good as some from days gone by, there is still plenty of world-class talent in their camp too.
Here, Sports Mole compiles a combined XI of players in the squads for either England or Brazil this week.
GK: Jordan Pickford
© Reuters
With neither Alisson or Ederson in the Brazil squad, there is no doubt about the goalkeeper spot in this team, as England's first-choice number one Jordan Pickford is an instant pick.
The Everton goalkeeper has been ultra-reliable for the Three Lions, having not made a single error leading to a goal in his previous 52 appearances, keeping 28 clean sheets, as well as saving penalties in two separate major tournament penalty shootouts, while also setting an all-time European Championship finals record for the longest time without conceding.
CB: Kyle Walker
On the right-hand side of a back three is Manchester City's Kyle Walker, who has shown he is capable of playing in more than one position to the benefit of both club and country.
The longevity of Walker's career at such a high level with his club side Manchester City, where he was a treble winner last season, and for his country, shows what a useful asset he is for both, offering versatility and frightening pace that wingers often fail to beat.
CB: John Stones
© Reuters
Comfortably the most accomplished defender in either squad is Walker's Man City team mate John Stones, who himself has proven his own versatility by transforming into a hybrid midfielder under Pep Guardiola.
When fit, Stones is one of the first names on Gareth Southgate's team sheet, and was hugely important in England's runs during the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020, and he is set to partner Harry Maguire again this summer, with another treble potentially on the cards at club level.
CB: Bremer
With Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhaes and Eder Militao all out injured, this window will offer Juventus defender Bremer an opportunity to showcase his talent to manager Dorival Junior.
After winning Serie A's Defender of the Season award as a Torino player during the 2021-22 season, Bremer made the move to local rivals Juve, and has seamlessly made himself an important member of the squad which is improving after a difficult few years, and conceding just 15 goals in their first 24 league games of the season was largely down to the form of the 27-year-old.
MF: Phil Foden
© Reuters
England's right-wing spot is almost certainly nailed down by Bukayo Saka, but a late injury withdrawal means that he will not be present in the squad this week, meaning Phil Foden comes into this combined XI.
While it is most probable the Man City midfielder will start on the left or central role, for the sake of this team, it is hard to leave the 23-year-old out, especially given his recent form that has seen Foden score 10 goals in 2024 already, playing an important role in the Citizens push for another treble.
MF: Declan Rice
© Reuters
Another of the certain starters in the England squad is fellow Arsenal man Declan Rice, who has continued to come on leaps and bounds since a £105m move to the Emirates in the summer.
Rice's introduction to the England setup has helped them progress after an unlikely run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, as his status as one of Europe's finest midfielders is part of the reason why the Three Lions are so highly fancied for Euro 2024.
MF: Bruno Guimaraes
Regarded by many as Newcastle United's finest signing since the Saudi takeover, Bruno Guimaraes's Premier League form has earned him a regular spot in the Brazil side since the last World Cup.
Guimaraes' combative approach to tackling, paired with his excellent technical ability, makes him the archetypal South American midfielder, and he is viewed as one of the future stars of this team, with Casemiro entering the latter stages of his career.
MF: Vinicius Junior
© Reuters
Coming into the international break with six goals in his previous four games for Real Madrid, Vinicius Junior is La Liga's most in-form attacker and also arguably the best player in this Brazil squad at present.
With Neymar out injured and off playing in Saudi Arabia, Brazil will be looking for a new superstar to take over the mantle, and with Vini Jr approaching 20 goals for the season with Los Blancos, he has all the hallmarks to replace the nation's record goalscorer.
MF: Jude Bellingham
© Reuters
Being the breakout star of the season and arguably the most talked-about player in world football along with Kylian Mbappe, there appears to be no ceiling on what Jude Bellingham could achieve for club and country.
Having already passed 20 goals in his debut season at the Bernabeu, the pressure of taking Zinedine Zidane's number five has not affected Bellingham in the slightest, and England can expect to see an even better player than the one which showed many fine glimpses at the World Cup in Qatar.
FW: Rodrygo
Yet another Real Madrid star which is set to take to the field at Wembley on Saturday is Rodrygo, who has proved critical to Carlo Ancelotti since Karim Benzema left for the Saudi riches.
Starting out as a winger, Rodrygo has transformed into a superb false nine, able to link the play, create chances, and most importantly score goals, as Gabriel Jesus's lack of game time at Arsenal could see Dorival Junior experiment with him as the main attacker.
FW: Harry Kane
© Reuters
As England's all-time record goalscorer, Harry Kane's records speak for themselves, as he remains one of the greatest strikers in world football.
With 62 goals in 89 England caps, it may be a while before that record is touched, and Kane is breaking more since his move to Bayern Munich, having already scored the most goals in a debut Bundesliga season, and he will be looking to close down Robert Lewandowski's all-time record for a single season of 41, which he is currently 10 short of.
Combined England-Brazil XI
No Data Analysis info
