Socceroos vs Brazil Predicted Lineups

Photo: Getty Images 

The Socceroos will look to finish their two-game Queensland series against Brazil on a high when the two nations meet again at Suncorp Stadium on Tuesday night.

Australia produced an impressive performance in Townsville on Friday, holding the five-time World Cup winners to a 1-1 draw and coming within minutes of recording only their second-ever victory over Brazil.

Now, Tony Popovic's side faces the same opponent again — this time in front of what is expected to be a huge crowd in Brisbane.

Australia looking to build on impressive first meeting

The Socceroos went toe-to-toe with Brazil in the opening match, showing plenty of confidence in possession and defensively frustrating Carlo Ancelotti's side for long periods.

Australia eventually took the lead in the 68th minute when Nestory Irankunda produced a stunning free-kick to put the Socceroos ahead.

The victory looked within reach before Brazil struck in stoppage time.

Rayan rose to head home a Raphinha cross in the 95th minute, rescuing a 1-1 draw for Brazil and denying Australia a famous win.

Popovic admitted afterwards that conceding from a late set piece was disappointing, while also stressing that Australia must improve if they are to get a result in Brisbane.

"We will have to be better than what we were to be able to get a result in the next match," Popovic said.

That provides an intriguing challenge for the Socceroos: can they reproduce the intensity and organisation of the first match while improving enough to see out the game?

Brazil expected to make changes

Brazil will also be looking for a better performance.

Ancelotti is using these matches to assess a younger squad as Brazil begins a new cycle following the 2026 World Cup.

The Brazil squad contains a mixture of established stars and emerging talent, with Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Bruno Guimaraes and Marquinhos among the most recognisable names.

There are also several players looking to establish themselves internationally, with the Brazilian squad containing a number of uncapped players and several youngsters.

Ancelotti has indicated that he intends to use the second match to continue experimenting, meaning Australia could face a significantly different Brazil XI from the one that started in Townsville.

Brazil's coach has nevertheless made it clear that the match is being taken seriously, despite its friendly status.

A young Socceroos squad gets another opportunity

The Brisbane match is also another chance for Popovic to assess the next generation of Australian talent.

Australia's squad has been significantly refreshed following the World Cup, with several young players receiving opportunities around the senior team.

Seven players were included in the squad without a senior cap, while Riley McGree and Patrick Yazbek returned after missing the World Cup through injury.

Marcus Younis made his Socceroos debut in Townsville, while six players remain in contention to make their first appearances for Australia in Brisbane.

One of those players is Eli Adams. The Gamba Osaka forward, who grew up in Queensland, is hoping to make his senior international debut in a stadium only a couple of hours from where his football journey began.

For Popovic, these matches are about more than simply getting a result. With the 2027 AFC Asian Cup approaching, the Brazil series provides an opportunity to expose younger players to the highest level of international football.

Australia have only beaten Brazil once

Despite the two countries having met several times over the years, Australia have historically struggled against Brazil.

The first meeting came in 1988, while the most recent encounter before this September series was a 4-0 Brazilian victory at the MCG in 2017.

Australia's only victory came at the 2001 Confederations Cup, when Shaun Murphy scored an 84th-minute winner in the third-place play-off.

Overall, Brazil entered Tuesday's match with six wins, two draws and one Australian victory from the previous nine meetings.

The 1-1 draw in Townsville therefore means Australia remain searching for only their second victory over Brazil.

When is Australia vs Brazil?

Australia vs Brazil
📅 Tuesday, September 29, 2026
🏟️ Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
⏰ 8:00pm AEST
📺 Paramount+

The match is being played at Suncorp Stadium, which has a capacity of around 52,500 and was used during the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. It will also be an important venue ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.

For fans in Australia, the match will be available exclusively through Paramount+, while ABC Sport will also provide live coverage.

What to expect

Australia have already shown that they can compete with Brazil.

The challenge now is doing it again and going one step further.

The first match demonstrated that Popovic's side can cause problems for Brazil's defence, press effectively and compete physically with a team filled with elite players.

But Brazil will have had three days to analyse what went wrong in Townsville, while Ancelotti is expected to make changes to his starting side.

For Australia, the objective is therefore twofold: continue building towards the Asian Cup while showing that the performance in Townsville was not a one-off.

A win would be a historic result. Another strong performance would provide further evidence of the progress Popovic is trying to build with a younger Socceroos squad.

Predicted Australia XI: Beach, K. Bos, Herrington, Souttar, Circati, Italiano, Irvine, Okon-Engstler, Metcalfe, Irankunda, Adams

Predicted Brazil XI: Souza, Douglas Santos, Gabriel, Marquinhos, Wesley, Danilo Santos, A. Santos, Martinelli, Raphinha, Rayan, Endrick

Predicted Score: Australia 1-2 Brazil