Gareth Southgate made the point to his England players at the beginning of the week. Remember November 2017, the manager said, when the nation last took on Brazil; the only time, in fact, they have done so during his seven and a half years in charge. It was a Wembley friendly, it finished 0-0 and the truth was that it felt more like a win.
What Southgate wanted to highlight to his squad was the world rankings at the time – England were 12th; Brazil second – and how, as another showpiece looms at Wembley on Saturday night, everything has changed. It is now England who can look down on Brazil. They are third on the list; the five-time world champions are fifth.
