Brazil to play Argentina at MCG on 9 June
South American football giants Brazil and Argentina will take their storied and intense rivalry to Australia when they play an international friendly at the iconic MCG on 9 June.
Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events and Minister for Sport, John Eren, expressed his confidence that Barcelona superstars Lionel Messi and Neymar would appear for both Argentina and Brazil, respectively.
"We’ve insisted that Messi and Neymar will be here to play that game," Ersan said.
“We’re fairly confident in the confidential agreements we’ve made.”
“It’s a matter of pride. They want to have their best players on the field.”
Both nations are expected to use the match as preparation for their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on August 29 (AEDT).
“It may be a friendly, but it’s not going to be a friendly encounter.”
Argentina manager, Edgardo Bauza, said his side would be viewing the match as a crucial form of preparation amid qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
“There is 100 years of rivalry between Argentina and Brasil," he said. "These matches are always special.
“We look forward to meeting in Melbourne. Our priority is to prepare for the important World Cup qualifiers coming up in 2017 and this match and the camp will be extremely valuable.”
Rejuvenated under the guidance of tactically astute manager Tite, who took over from Dunga in June last year, Brazil tops the CONMEBOL qualifying with 27 points and six matches left to play.
Argentina is in the precarious fifth-place play-off position, with 19 points.
