FFrance forward Kylian Mbapp showed no ill effects from his left knee injury on Thursday as he scored France’s first goal en route to a 2-1 win over Brazil in a World Cup warm-up match between the world’s top teams.
With a crowd of 66,215 strongly supporting Brazil, Mbapp and Hugo Ekitike gave France a 2-0 lead on the same pitch where Norway will play Erling Haaland in the final group stage match of this summer’s World Cup. Bremer cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 78th minute.
Despite a simmering feud between the city of Foxboro and World Cup organizers over about $8 million in security costs, the friendly went off without any notable problems. The two sides reached an agreement two weeks ago in which the organizing committee would commit to an advance payment and the town would approve the necessary entertainment license.
It was expected to be the last hurdle in the world’s largest sporting event, held in this suburb of 20,000 between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, which triples in size when the New England Patriots play. To meet FIFA requirements, a turf field was installed in place of the artificial turf used by the NFL’s Patriots and Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution.
It was the second-largest attendance for a soccer match at Gillette Stadium, after the 2007 friendly between Brazil and Mexico. It was packed with fans wearing Brazil’s yellow jerseys, and only a few French flags were waved to celebrate Mbapp’s goal. (The media dining room had a more neutral feel, with madeleines, macarons, and eclairs alongside Brazilian brigadeiros, pudims, and mousse de maracuja.)
NBA Boston Celtics players
Coach Joe Mazzula and players from the NBA’s Boston Celtics were also in attendance, and forward Jayson Tatum participated in the pregame coin toss with Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey.
Mbapp, a former Paris Saint-Germain and current Real Madrid star, sprained his left knee in December but played until January, when he was sidelined for about a month. He came on as a substitute in Real Madrid’s last two games, but started on Thursday.
M-Vap said Monday that his injury was “really my fault.” (Reports that the team tested the wrong knee are false, Mbappu said Wednesday at a news conference in Foxboro.)
And Ousmane Demble showed it in the 32nd minute with a through ball that left no one between Mbapp and the goalkeeper. The 2018 World Cup champion and 2022 Golden Boot winner tapped in once to take the lead, before chipping it over the keeper to make it 1-0.
France took a 2-0 lead in the 65th minute when Ekitike, Liverpool’s top scorer this season, converted a pass from Michael Olise into the penalty area. Mbappu came on as a substitute immediately after that.
Upamecano was sent off.
France’s Dayot Upamecano was sent off in the 55th minute for knocking down a player in a clear path to goal, which was upgraded from yellow to red after a video review, but Bremer redirected Luis Enrique’s cross past French keeper Mike Maignan to reduce the gap to 2-1.
The game also included a “cooling break” midway through the first half to allow players to rest and rehydrate, despite early spring New England temperatures in the mid-60s (15 degrees Celsius). Following the extremely hot weather at last year’s Club World Cup, FIFA has announced that all matches at the 2026 World Cup will have breaks, regardless of pitch temperature.
