I.M. Vijayan, Jose Barreto to carry match ball for India-Brazil friendly

IM Vijayan is an Indian footballing great. | Photo Credit: PTI

India will face five-time FIFA World Cup champion Brazil on October 3, with legends I.M. Vijayan and Jose Barreto set to serve as Goodwill Ambassadors and carry the official match ball onto the pitch before kick-off.

The duo will be part of the pre-match ceremony at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, where India will meet Brazil in the first senior men’s international between the two nations.

Vijayan, who scored India’s fastest international goal in a match against Bhutan in the 1999 SAF Games in 12 seconds, was the first football player from Kerala to win an Arjuna Award, and has been honoured as the Best Footballer of the Year in 1993, 1997. and 1999. He also led the national team in a number of tournaments such as Nehru Cup, Pre-Olympics, Pre-World Cup, SAAF Cup and SAF Games.

Famous striker Barreto came from Brazil to Kolkata in 1999 and put his Indian fans into a trance with his skills. He was most successful wearing the maroon-and-green of Mohun Bagan.

The fixture is the first of two high-profile international matches for India in Kolkata this week. The Blue Tigers will face two-time FIFA World Cup champion Uruguay at the same venue on October 6.

India heads into the Brazil fixture after a 1-1 draw against Panama last week. Brazil, meanwhile, will arrive in Kolkata on Thursday after playing two matches in Australia. The five-time world champion drew 1-1 with the Socceroos in Queensland before securing a 4-2 win in Brisbane.

Published on Oct 01, 2026

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