Before a ball was kicked in Townsville, Brazil's squad had already made enemies — including their own supporters. Members of Carlo Ancelotti's squad were filmed laughing and covering their mouths during a traditional Welcome to Country ceremony performed by the Wulgurukaba Walkabouts, an Aboriginal dance and cultural group from the Townsville region.
The footage spread fast. Brazil's own Instagram had shared the ceremony as a "special" start to their Australian tour. The reality on camera told a different story.
Brazilians turning on their own team
The sharpest criticism didn't come from Australian fans. It came from Brazilians themselves.
"This disrespect is unbelievable. As a Brazilian, I want to offer my most sincere apologies to the Australian people. These people, at this precise moment, do not represent Brazil," one user wrote. Another put it more bluntly: "Sometimes it's embarrassing to be Brazilian, honestly."
Football Tweet, an account with over 1.2 million followers on X, called it out directly: "That comes across as incredibly disrespectful to their hosts." When your own fanbase is publicly apologising for your behaviour before a friendly series, something has gone badly wrong in that squad's culture.
Ancelotti has said nothing publicly. Brazil's federation has said nothing. That silence is its own statement.
On the pitch, a draw that flattered no one
The actual match on Friday — a 1-1 draw — almost got lost in the noise, which is a shame because Australia's performance deserved more attention. Nestory Irankunda's free-kick gave the Socceroos a genuine shot at an upset win against a five-time world champion side. It took a stoppage-time header from substitute Rayan to salvage Brazil's draw.
Australia's defensive odds against Brazil in the Brisbane rematch on September 29 look considerably more interesting after that showing. A team that can hold the Seleção level for 90-plus minutes in Townsville isn't a pushover — and Brazil, clearly, have bigger problems than set-piece defending right now.
"They demand respect and cry when they're not respected, but they're not capable of respecting others," one user wrote online. Hard to argue with that framing after the week Brazil have had in Australia.
