Brazil, Germany, Portugal, and Belgium boosted confidence ahead of the FIFA World Cup with impressive friendly victories. Bruno Guimaraes and Endrick guided Brazil past Egypt, Germany extended their winning streak against the USA, Portugal defeated Chile, while Belgium produced a dominant display against Tunisia in crucial pre-tournament preparations.
As the FIFA World Cup approaches, several football powerhouses delivered encouraging performances in their final international friendlies, with Brazil, Germany, Portugal and Belgium all registering important victories that strengthened confidence ahead of the global tournament in North America.
Brazil secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Egypt in a match that provided both teams with a valuable opportunity to fine-tune preparations before the World Cup begins in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The South American giants started strongly and took the lead through Bruno Guimaraes, who capitalized on a defensive error by Mohanad Lasheen near the edge of the penalty area. The Newcastle United captain calmly placed his effort into the far corner to give Brazil an early advantage.
Egypt responded positively and managed to level the contest through Mostafa Ziko. The forward intercepted a misplaced back pass from Marquinhos and finished confidently beyond Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker. However, Brazil regained control after halftime when young striker Endrick made an immediate impact off the bench. The talented forward connected perfectly with a cross from Raphinha and fired a first-time shot past goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir to seal the victory.
The result gives Brazil valuable momentum ahead of their World Cup opener against Morocco in New Jersey, while Egypt will shift focus to its opening tournament fixture against Belgium in Seattle.
Meanwhile, Germany continued their outstanding form with an impressive victory over co-hosts the United States at Chicago’s Soldier Field. The Germans opened the scoring through Kai Havertz, who once again demonstrated his attacking quality. The home side fought back through Antonee Robinson, whose powerful strike brought the Americans level and energized the crowd.
Despite the setback, Germany remained composed and eventually found the winner through Leroy Sane. His precise finish beyond goalkeeper Matt Freese secured a ninth consecutive victory for the European side. Germany’s remarkable winning streak has positioned them among the most in-form teams heading into the World Cup, while United States coach Mauricio Pochettino will still take positives from his team’s determined display.
Portugal also enjoyed a successful evening after defeating Chile in a competitive encounter. However, the victory was overshadowed by Rafael Leao’s dismissal during first-half stoppage time following an off-the-ball incident involving Chile defender Ivan Roman. Despite being reduced in numbers, Portugal produced a disciplined second-half performance.
Goals from Goncalo Guedes and Bruno Fernandes ultimately secured the win, providing a significant morale boost ahead of the tournament. Veteran star Cristiano Ronaldo featured during the opening period, continuing his preparations for another major international campaign.
Belgium delivered one of the most convincing performances of the round, overpowering 10-man Tunisia with a dominant display in Brussels. Leandro Trossard opened the scoring after excellent work from Jeremy Doku, before Charles De Ketelaere doubled the advantage early in the second half.
Tunisia’s task became even more difficult following the red card shown to Ismael Garbi. Belgium fully exploited the numerical advantage, with captain Kevin De Bruyne scoring his 37th international goal. Late strikes from substitutes Dodi Lukebakio and Nicolas Raskin completed an emphatic 5-0 triumph.
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With the FIFA World Cup now just days away, these friendly matches offered a glimpse of the form and confidence levels of several contenders. Brazil, Germany, Portugal and Belgium will all enter the tournament encouraged by strong performances, while their opponents will look to learn valuable lessons before the world’s biggest football competition gets underway.
