Brazil is reportedly open to playing a friendly football match against Russia later this year, according to local media citing the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). Although Russia remains suspended from official FIFA and UEFA competitions due to the conflict in Ukraine, discussions about a non-competitive match are underway.

Brazilian journalist Galvão Bueno shared a letter from the CBF, dated August 2024, which confirms Brazil’s preliminary acceptance of an invitation from the Russian Football Union (RFU) for a match in Moscow in 2025. The Brazilian team indicated availability during the FIFA international match windows in October and November.

In the letter, the CBF expressed hopes that collaboration with the RFU would help foster stronger ties and contribute positively to international football. The confederation also stated that the national team management would begin preparations for the potential fixture.

While this correspondence reflects Brazil’s interest, no final agreement has been reached, and logistics such as the date and location are still being worked out. Negotiations are expected to continue in the months ahead.

Should the match go ahead, it would be a rare encounter between the two national sides outside an official competition. Their last meeting was a friendly in March 2018, before the World Cup in Russia, where Brazil won 3–0 at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

However, CNN Brazil later reported that a source within the CBF denied that any plans were in place for a game against Russia in football or any other sport.

Since being suspended from international competitions in February 2022, the Russian team has played a series of friendly matches, maintaining an unbeaten streak. Opponents have included Cuba, Serbia, Belarus, Vietnam, Brunei, Syria, Grenada, and Zambia, with Russia securing dominant wins. Despite the ban, FIFA continues to assign ranking points for these games, which has helped Russia move up to 34th in the world rankings.