The 10 English Reds that have defeated Brazil

Friday 22 March 2024 14:57

England will be striving to achieve just a fifth win over five-times world champions Brazil when the teams meet at Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening (19:00 GMT).

Three Manchester United players  Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford  have been selected in Gareth Southgate's squad and 18-year-old Mainoo is hoping to earn his first senior international cap.
 
For decades, Brazil were the measuring stick for every footballing country, winning five World Cups between 1958 and 2002 and dazzling the globe with a raft of legendary players, from Pele and Garrincha to Zico and Socrates, through to Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
 
However, England have managed to get the better of the Selecao on a few occasions and, naturally, United players have been key contributors to those successes...

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ENGLAND 4 BRAZIL 2
9 May 1956
 
Talismanic United forward Tommy Taylor scored twice in this memorable 4-2 win at Wembley in 1956, against a Brazil team that would win the World Cup in Sweden two years later.

Fellow Busby Babes Roger Byrne and Duncan Edwards also started the game - England's first-ever meeting with Brazil  though the visitors' side did not yet include the genius of Pele, who would make his debut, aged 16, in 1957. Brazil's XI did include future Real Madrid great Didi though, who was Player of the Tournament at the 1958 World Cup.

England's manager in this game was Walter Winterbottom, who played 27 games for United from 1936/37.
BRAZIL 0 ENGLAND 2
10 June 1984
 
Not many European footballers have led their national teams to victory away in Brazil, but Bryan Robson was not just any footballer. United's longest-serving captain skippered the Three Lions to a 2-0 win at the Maracana in 1984, barely a week after England had been booed off the pitch at Wembley, following a 2-0 defeat to USSR.

Ray Wilkins partnered Robbo in midfield that night, while Mike Duxbury won his sixth cap playing at right-back. The game is most remembered for a stunning solo goal from former Watford left-winger John Barnes, and it was also Brazil's first home defeat for more than a quarter of a century.
Robbo exchanges pennants with Brazil's captain, Zenon, ahead of the memorable 1984 match at the Maracana.
ENGLAND 2 BRAZIL 1
6 February 2013
 
England's most recent win against the record world champions came 11 years ago at Wembley, with Wayne Rooney scoring his 33rd international goal during the first half. Frank Lampard nabbed the winner in the second half, following an equaliser from Fred (no, not that one).

Tom Cleverley, Chris Smalling and Danny Welbeck also started the match. Rooney would score another memorable goal against the South Americans at the Maracana, just four months later, in a 2-2 draw.

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THE 10 ENGLISH REDS WHO HAVE DEFEATED BRAZIL

Roger Byrne
Duncan Edwards
Tommy Taylor
Mike Duxbury
Bryan Robson
Ray Wilkins
Tom Cleverley
Wayne Rooney
Chris Smalling
Danny Welbeck

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