Brazil responded to their previous friendly defeat against France by securing a 3-1 win over Croatia in a World Cup warm-up match held in Orlando on Tuesday. Danilo, Igor Thiago, and Gabriel Martinelli scored the goals that led Brazil to victory in their final game before coach Carlo Ancelotti finalizes his World Cup squad selection.
The Brazilian team took the lead with a remarkable counter-attack goal just before halftime, as Danilo, a player from Botafogo, finished brilliantly following a rapid run by Vinicius Jr. from Real Madrid. Although Croatia managed to equalize through Lovro Majer in the 83rd minute, a second-half substitute named Endrick helped Brazil regain the lead.
Endrick was instrumental in earning a penalty that Igor Thiago successfully converted to equalize in the 88th minute. He then assisted Martinelli to score Brazil’s third goal in stoppage time, securing the victory for the team. This result provided Brazil with some redemption after being eliminated by Croatia in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Brazil, aiming for their sixth World Cup title since their last win in 2002, will kick off their Group C campaign against Morocco on June 13, followed by matches against Haiti on June 19 and Scotland on June 24. On the other hand, Croatia will start their World Cup journey in Group L with a notable fixture against England on June 17, followed by games against Panama on June 23 and Ghana on June 27.