England and Brazil have been playing each other for seventy years, yet the rivalry never quite became what it should have been. The two sides have met in friendlies far more often than in tournaments, and for long stretches they went years without playing. Still, the games that did happen produced some of the sport’s best-remembered moments: Gordon Banks’ save in 1970, John Barnes’ goal at the Maracanã in 1984, Ronaldinho’s free-kick in 2002 and a 17-year-old tapping in a winner at Wembley in 2024.
This England National Football Team Vs Brazil National Football Team Timeline walks through the whole history, from the first meeting in 1956 to the 2026 World Cup, where the two were on a collision course but never met. It also covers the lineups from the most important recent matches, a table of the last ten meetings, and a short FAQ.
The Record at a Glance
Counts vary between websites depending on what they include. Worldfootball.net lists 27 meetings, with England winning four. Counting from that list, Brazil have won around twelve and eleven have been drawn. England’s four wins came in 1956, 1984, 1990 and 2013. That is a rough balance, in the sense that England have rarely been blown out, but Brazil have taken the points far more often when it mattered.
One more number worth knowing: the two have met in four World Cup matches (1958, 1962, 1970 and 2002). Brazil won three and one was drawn. England have never beaten Brazil at a World Cup.
The Timeline, Era by Era
1950s: First Contact (1956–1959)
The two nations first met on 9 May 1956 at Wembley, and England won 4–2. It was a friendly, and in the 1950s such games were a kind of showcase: the English still thought of themselves as the home of the game, and Brazil were an emerging power looking for tests against Europeans.
The balance shifted quickly. At the 1958 World Cup in Sweden the sides drew 0–0 in the group stage, the first goalless draw in World Cup history between Brazil and England, and a result that helped Brazil on their way to the first of their five titles. In May 1959 Brazil won 2–0 in a friendly in Rio.
1960s: Garrincha, Pelé and a Heavy Defeat (1962–1969)
Brazil’s golden generation was at its peak. In the 1962 World Cup quarter-final in Chile, Brazil beat England 3–1, with Garrincha scoring twice. A friendly in 1963 ended 1–1, but in 1964 Brazil hit England for five in a 5–1 win in Rio, England’s heaviest defeat in the series. In June 1969 Brazil won 2–1, again in a friendly.
1970: The Save and the Rematch That Never Was
The 1970 World Cup group match in Guadalajara is arguably the greatest game the two have played, and certainly the one that is remembered best. Brazil won 1–0 with a goal from Jairzinho. The moment people still talk about, though, is Gordon Banks’ save from a Pelé header, which looked like a goal until the English goalkeeper somehow flicked it over the bar. England were holders, Brazil were on their way to the title, and many fans imagined a final between them. It did not happen, because England lost to West Germany in the quarter-finals.
1970s: Friendlies and Frustration (1976–1981)
In May 1976, Brazil won 1–0 in a Bicentennial tournament match in the United States. Goalless in 1977 and 1–1 in 1978, the two sides were now friends more than rivals. Brazil won again at Wembley in 1981, 1–0.
1980s: The Barnes Goal (1984–1987)
The 1984 visit to the Maracanã is the high point of England’s record. On 10 June 1984, England won 2–0 away from home, the last time a European side beat Brazil in Brazil until the next visit. John Barnes’ solo goal, a run past defenders from the left wing and a finish, became part of English football folklore. Mark Hateley added the second. In 1987 the sides drew 1–1 in the Rous Cup at Wembley.
1990s: Lineker’s Header and a Slow Decline (1990–1999)
On 28 March 1990, England beat Brazil 1–0 at Wembley, with Gary Lineker scoring a header. That would be England’s last win in the series for 23 years. Draws followed in 1992 and 1993 (the latter in the US Cup), then Brazil won 3–1 in the 1995 Umbro Cup at Wembley and 1–0 in France in 1997’s Le Tournoi. By the end of the decade Brazil’s dominance over England was settled.
2000s: The 2002 Quarter-Final and Wembley’s Reopening
A 1–1 draw at Wembley in May 2000 was followed by the 2002 World Cup quarter-final, the most important match between the two since 1970. More on that below. In June 2007 the new Wembley hosted its first senior international, England against Brazil, and it ended 1–1. In November 2009 Brazil won 1–0 in Doha.
2010s: England Finally Win Again
On 6 February 2013, England beat Brazil 2–1 at Wembley, their first victory in 23 years. Wayne Rooney scored in the 27th minute, Fred equalised in the 48th, and Frank Lampard hit the winner from the bench in the 60th, curling the ball into the net off the post. The match was part of the FA’s 150th anniversary celebrations and the crowd was 87,453. A few months later, on 2 June 2013, the sides drew 2–2 at the reopened Maracanã. In November 2017 they played out a goalless draw at Wembley.
2020s: Endrick Wins It, and the 2026 Near-Miss
The most recent meeting was a friendly on 23 March 2024 at Wembley, which Brazil won 1–0. At the 2026 World Cup, England and Brazil were placed in the same half of the draw and a quarter-final between them looked possible. TNT Sports noted the last time they met in a competitive match was the 2002 quarter-final. It did not happen: Brazil lost to Norway in the round of 16, while England beat Mexico 3–2 in the same round. As far as I could find, there is no England–Brazil fixture currently scheduled.
The Lineups That Mattered
23 March 2024: England 0–1 Brazil (Wembley)
This was England’s final home match before Euro 2024 and Dorival Júnior’s first game in charge of Brazil. Attendance was 83,664.
England (4-2-3-1), per ESPN: Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker (captain), John Stones, Harry Maguire, Ben Chilwell; Declan Rice, Conor Gallagher; Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden; Ollie Watkins.
England substitutes used: Lewis Dunk, Joe Gomez, Ezri Konsa, Jarrod Bowen, Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford were all listed among those who came on.
Brazil, per TNT Sports’ ratings: Bento; Danilo, Fabrício Bruno, Lucas Beraldo, Wendell; Bruno Guimarães, João Gomes, Lucas Paquetá; Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior, Raphinha.
Brazil named five debutants in the starting eleven. Bellingham was booked in the 13th minute and Paquetá in the 34th. The match stayed goalless until the 80th minute, when substitute Endrick, who had come on for Rodrygo in the 71st, tapped in a rebound after Pickford saved Vinícius’s shot. At 17 he became the youngest goalscorer in a men’s senior match at Wembley, and the goal survived a long VAR check for offside. Reece James was out for England and Marquinhos for Brazil through injury.
England had gone ten games unbeaten before this match. It was a defeat that did not hurt much on its own, but it showed the difference between England’s solid midfield and Brazil’s ability to produce a moment from nothing.
21 June 2002: England 1–2 Brazil (World Cup quarter-final, Shizuoka)
England (4-4-2): David Seaman; Danny Mills, Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole; David Beckham (captain), Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Trevor Sinclair; Emile Heskey, Michael Owen.
Brazil (3-5-2): Marcos; Lúcio, Edmilson, Roque Júnior; Cafu, Kléberson, Gilberto Silva, Roberto Carlos; Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Ronaldo.
Owen put England ahead in the 23rd minute after a mistake by Lúcio, and Heskey got the assist. Rivaldo equalised right on half-time, in the second minute of stoppage time, after a pass from Ronaldinho. Five minutes after the break Ronaldinho scored again, this time with a free-kick from near the touchline that sailed over a stranded Seaman. Ronaldinho was sent off in the 57th minute for a foul on Mills, but 10-man Brazil held on. The crowd was 47,436, and Brazil went on to win the tournament.
6 February 2013: England 2–1 Brazil (Wembley)
England’s starting eleven for this game is less well documented in the sources I could access, so I will stick to what is recorded: Jack Wilshere returned from injury and was praised for his passing, Joe Hart saved a penalty from Ronaldinho in the 19th minute after Wilshere handled, Rooney scored in the 27th, Fred equalised for Brazil in the 48th after a Gary Cahill error, and Lampard came off the bench to score the winner in the 60th. It was Luiz Felipe Scolari’s return match as Brazil coach.
Last 10 Meetings (Table)
| # | Date | Competition | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 Mar 2024 | International friendly | England | 0–1 | Brazil | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 2 | 14 Nov 2017 | International friendly | England | 0–0 | Brazil | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 3 | 2 Jun 2013 | International friendly | Brazil | 2–2 | England | Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro |
| 4 | 6 Feb 2013 | International friendly | England | 2–1 | Brazil | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 5 | 14 Nov 2009 | International friendly | Brazil | 1–0 | England | Doha, Qatar |
| 6 | 1 Jun 2007 | International friendly | England | 1–1 | Brazil | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 7 | 21 Jun 2002 | World Cup quarter-final | England | 1–2 | Brazil | Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, Japan |
| 8 | 27 May 2000 | International friendly | England | 1–1 | Brazil | Wembley Stadium, London |
| 9 | 10 Jun 1997 | Le Tournoi (friendly) | England | 0–1 | Brazil | France |
| 10 | 11 Jun 1995 | Umbro Cup | England | 1–3 | Brazil | Wembley Stadium, London |
Across these ten matches, Brazil have won five, England one, and four were drawn. Brazil scored 13 goals to England’s 8. For the scorers: in 2013 at the Maracanã, Fred and Paulinho scored for Brazil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Rooney for England. A note on the data: one database lists a 25 October 2025 England–Brazil game with a 1–2 scoreline, but it appears to be a women’s international, so I left it out. Venues for the 2009 and 1997 games come from memory plus partial listings, so confirm them if you are publishing.
What the Timeline Tells Us
Looking at seventy years of results, a few patterns stand out.
Brazil win the big matches. Of the four World Cup meetings, England never won, and the two competitive knockout defeats (1962 and 2002) came when the stakes were highest. The friendlies are closer, which is partly because both sides rotate their squads.
England’s best results come in odd circumstances. The wins in 1984, 1990 and 2013 all came in games where Brazil were either in transition or under a new coach. In 2013 Scolari had been in charge for two days.
Wembley has been kinder to England than the Maracanã. England’s four wins came in 1956, 1990 and 2013 at Wembley and in 1984 at the Maracanã, and they have rarely lost heavily at home.
The matches have gotten tighter in the modern era. The 5–1 defeat of 1964 is far behind. Since 2000 the biggest margin is one goal, and four of seven meetings have been draws or one-goal games.
The Managers Now
England are coached by Thomas Tuchel and Brazil by Carlo Ancelotti. If the two meet again, it will be a contest of two experienced European coaches. Preview pieces before the 2026 World Cup noted Ancelotti’s record against Tuchel in Champions League knockout ties, and a possible Harry Kane against Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhães battle, since Gabriel is Kane’s familiar Premier League opponent. That quarter-final never happened, but the storyline will probably return when the two are next drawn together.
Where to Check the Next Fixture
I could not find any scheduled England–Brazil match. When one is announced, the most reliable sources are the FA’s own website (englandfootball.com), the CBF, and FIFA’s match pages. Lineups are normally confirmed about an hour before kick-off, and any “predicted” XI before that should be treated as a guess.
Final Thoughts
The England National Football Team Vs Brazil National Football Team Timeline is a story of mutual admiration more than hatred. England have always wanted to beat Brazil, and Brazil have always enjoyed visiting Wembley. The results lean toward Brazil, but the memorable moments belong to both: Banks’ save, Barnes’ goal, Lineker’s header, Ronaldinho’s free-kick, Lampard’s winner and Endrick’s tap-in. With both countries now in a new World Cup cycle, the next chapter is only a matter of when the schedule brings them together.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. When did England and Brazil last play each other?
They last met on 23 March 2024 at Wembley in a friendly. Brazil won 1–0, with 17-year-old substitute Endrick scoring in the 80th minute.
2. What is the head-to-head record between England and Brazil?
Counts vary slightly by source, but one record lists 27 meetings in which England won four, Brazil about twelve, and eleven were drawn. England’s wins came in 1956, 1984, 1990 and 2013.
3. Have England ever beaten Brazil at a World Cup?
No. The sides have met four times at World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970 and 2002). Brazil won three and one was drawn.
4. Did England and Brazil play each other at the 2026 World Cup?
No. A quarter-final was possible, but Brazil lost to Norway in the round of 16, while England beat Mexico 3–2 in the same round. I could not find any scheduled meeting between the two.
5. What were the lineups in the 2002 World Cup quarter-final?
England started Seaman; Mills, Ferdinand, Campbell, Cole; Beckham, Butt, Scholes, Sinclair; Heskey, Owen. Brazil started Marcos; Lúcio, Edmilson, Roque Júnior; Cafu, Kléberson, Gilberto Silva, Roberto Carlos; Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Ronaldo. Brazil won 2–1.
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