‘Lacklustre, sleepy, sluggish…’: Brazilian media on 4-0 win over India

Brazilian media responded to Brazil's 4-0 win over India in their first-ever senior men's football friendly with a mix of criticism and disappointment. While the win may have been expected given Brazil's superior form, many outlets expressed dissatisfaction with the team's performance. The New York Times reported that Brazil, ranked sixth in the world, failed to impress in their "sleepy, sluggish, and uninspired" performance against India, a team ranked 138th in the FIFA rankings.

Brazil's leading daily, O Globo, described the match as looking like a "training session" and stated that the team lacked "offensive impetus", creating few chances throughout the game. Former Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo criticized the team's approach, expressing hope that Brazil would improve but noting that they had regressed compared to their last World Cup game.

Melo also noted that while Martinelli and Samuel Lino showed good attitude, the players overall lacked the right approach. Trivela, a Brazilian football news outlet, questioned the sense behind the friendly for the Brazilian Football Confederation, considering the empty seats at the stadium and the lack of affordable ticket prices for fans.

The piece also pointed out that some regions in Brazil had not hosted national team matches for decades, suggesting that the CBF could serve a broader population if tickets were more accessible. Despite the criticism, the CBF president Samir Xaud stated that the match was part of a promise to get closer to the Brazilian people after the World Cup, but many outlets saw this as just empty talk.