Brazil hope to avoid breaking ignominious record

Brazil will hope not to break an ignominious 23-year-old record when they visit Wembley Stadium to square off against hosts England in a mouthwatering friendly on Saturday.

As Gareth Southgate's men ramp up preparations for Euro 2024, their South American visitors intend to snap a demoralising sequence of results in Dorival Junior's first game as head coach.

While England navigated 2023 without suffering a single defeat, Brazil's post-Tite era has got off to a largely disastrous start, as the five-time world champions arrive at Wembley on a three-game losing run in qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

A defeat for Brazil will see them lose four consecutive internationals for the first time since July 2001. Under interim coach Fernando Diniz, Brazil lost their last three World Cup qualifiers -- 2-0 and 2-1 away to Uruguay and Colombia before losing 1-0 to archrivals Argentina at home last year in November.

Failing to regain winning momentum at Wembley will also compound new coach Dorival Junior's challenge of building decent form ahead of this summer's Copa America as Brazil face Spain next in what could be another difficult friendly.

Things will not at all be easy for the Selecao who are battling with a number of injuries and face an England side that have turned Wembley into something of a fortress, going unbeaten in 20 matches there, making it their longest undefeated streak at the national stadium since a 24-game run between 1984 and 1990.

In the injury list for Brazil, Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães became the latest entrant, joining players such as Gabriel Martinelli, Joelinton, Éder Militão, Casemiro, Neymar, João Pedro, Ederson, Alisson and Marquinhos on the increasingly long list.

For England manager Southgate, this will be an opportunity to add another opponent to his list of nations defeated during his tenure. Under Southgate, England have faced 42 different nations and beaten 39 of them. The only three he's faced but not won against (excluding penalty shootout wins) are France (L2), Brazil (D1) and Colombia (D1).