Brazil signed off their international window in royal fashion, crushing India 4-0 at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday in the first-ever senior men’s meeting between the two nations. Estevao Willian and Pedro put the Selecao in command before the break, but the evening’s headline act arrived off the bench.
Flamengo winger Samuel Lino struck twice after half-time, one early in the second period and another deep in stoppage time, to turn a routine win into an emphatic statement of intent, upsetting a huge home crowd in the Mecca of Indian Football.
India vs Brazil Highlights
The India football team began with spirit, and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu denied Vinicius Junior in the eighth minute. Brazil’s quality eventually told when Chelsea’s Estevao cut inside and fired a left-footed finish in the 28th minute.
Flamengo striker Pedro doubled the lead in the 42nd minute, bundling in Estevao’s pass after a touch off Gurpreet. Coach Khalid Jamil later admitted individual errors made some goals too soft, though substitute Prabhsukhan Gill did well to deny Vanderson in stoppage time.
Carlo Ancelotti made five half-time changes, with Lino replacing Vinicius. The impact was immediate.
Twelve minutes after the restart, India surrendered possession in their own third, Pedro flicked the ball into his path, and Lino bent a right-footed finish into the bottom corner for 3-0.
The Flamengo winger saved the finest moment for last, striking again from the left of the box in the 90+5th minute to complete his brace.
Who Is Samuel Lino?
Born on 23 December 1999, Samuel Lino is a 26-year-old attacker who wears the No. 16 shirt for Flamengo. His European journey began at Gil Vicente, before Atletico Madrid signed him in 2022 for a reported €6.5 million. He also spent a loan spell at Valencia.
In July 2025, Flamengo brought Lino home in a reported €22 million deal, which made him the club’s most expensive signing at the time. His contract runs until December 2029.
Silverware followed quickly as Flamengo clinched the Copa Libertadores and Brasileirao in 2025, then the 2026 Carioca. Lino earned his first Brazil call-up in September 2025 under Ancelotti, starting a 1-0 defeat to Bolivia in El Alto.
