Brazil to play Argentina at Melbourne in June

Brazil and Argentina will meet in a friendly international at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in June, five years after the South American powerhouses attracted 95,000 fans to the venue, the Victorian state government said on Wednesday.

State sports minister Martin Pakula said his understanding was that the big name players from both countries would feature in the June 11 clash.

Our expectation, based on the discussions we’ve had, is that players like (Lionel) Messi and Neymar will be here, he told Melbourne’s 3AW radio station. We can’t be 100% certain about that but we’ve been told this is an important preparation for them in the lead up to the World Cup.

Neymar was left out of the Brazil team for the 2017 clash at the MCG but seven-times Ballon D’Or winner Messi featured in the 1-0 victory for Argentina. Neymar and Messi’s former club Barcelona are also making the trip Down Under this year for a May 25 friendly against an A-League All Stars team in Sydney.

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