Luiz Felipe Scolari’s second coming as Brazil manager ended in defeat as goals from Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard earned England a 2-1 victory in a prestige Wembley friendly last night.
Veteran Ronaldinho, who donned the famous yellow shirt for the first time in a year, missed a first-half penalty for the five-times world champions and England capitalised when Rooney gave the hosts a 26th-minute lead.
Substitute Fred equalised for Brazil just four minutes after coming on and struck the crossbar as Scolari’s side came alive in a fixture arranged to kick off the 150th anniversary year of the English Football Association.
Lampard, one of six Chelsea players on display including Ashley Cole making his 100th appearance for England, sent the majority of the 87,000 fans home happy with a superb curled winner on the hour.
England hung on with few alarms for their first victory over Brazil in nine attempts stretching back to 1990.
Elsewhere, Pedro extended his recent purple patch for Spain when he struck twice to help the world and European champions to a 3-1 win over Uruguay in Qatar.
Spain predictably dominated possession against the South American champions and took the lead thanks to a dreadful blunder by Fernando Muslera.
Cesc Fabregas let fly from the distance straight at the Uruguay goalkeeper but he could only palm the swerving shot behind him and into the empty net.
Uruguay were level in the 32nd minute when Martin Caceres slipped the ball through to Cristian Rodriguez and he side-footed past Victor Valdes.
Pedro made it 2-1 six minutes after the break with a low angled shot and turned in a fine Fabregas cross in the 74th minute for his ninth goal in his last six internationals.
Verratti equaliser
Substitute Marco Verratti struck in injury time to salvage a 1-1 draw for Italy against the Netherlands in Amsterdam.
Jeremain Lens had put a young Dutch side, whose players averaged 22.3 years, ahead in the 33rd minute and the hosts looked like they were heading for victory as they repeatedly prevented the Italians from netting an equaliser.
In the dying minutes, the Italians stepped up their search for a goal and Pablo Osvaldo and Alberto Gilardino came close to scoring before Verratti picked up the ball in the area and chipped it over keeper Tim Krul.
In Paris, Germany claimed their first win over France in 26 years when goals by Thomas Mueller and Sami Khedira secured a 2-1 win in an entertaining friendly at the Stade de France.
Both second-half goals came from France left-back Patrice Evra’s side of the defence as Germany fought back after Mathieu Valbuena had opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time.
Valbuena headed home from close range in the 44th minute after Karim Benzema’s free-kick bounced off the bar, but Mueller slotted past Hugo Lloris early the second half and Khedira wrapped it up from Mesut Ozil’s pass with 16 minutes left.
Real Madrid striker Benzema missed a clear chance in the first half and has not scored for France in his last 10 appearances.
Sweden may have kept Lionel Messi scoreless but they still succumbed to a 3-2 loss to Argentina in their friendly in Stockholm.
Argentina took the lead as early as the third minute when Mikael Lustig steered Gonzalo Higuain’s shot into his own net, and the Swedes found it hard to get a grip on the game as their opponents retained possession with ease.
Sweden equalised when Jonas Olsson headed home Kim Kallstrom’s corner after 17 minutes, but Sergio Aguero restored Argentina’s lead almost immediately with a deft chip.
They went 3-1 up when Higuain was on hand to fire home after Andreas Isaksson could only parry Messi’s powerful shot.
Sweden pulled a goal back in added time when Rasmus Elm found to net from a free-kick.
Summaries
Albania 1
Bogdani 26;
Georgia 2
Vatsadze 40; Lobshanidze 82;
Azerbaijan 1
Javodov 76 pen;
Liechtenstein 0
Red card: Erne (L) 75.
Belgium 2
Hazard 10 pen; Mertens 90;
Slovakia 1
Laslik 87;
Cyprus 1
Makridis 19;
Serbia 3
Tadic 33, 48; Basta 70;
England 2
Rooney 26; Lampard 60;
Brazil 1
Fred 49;
Missed penalty: Ronaldinho (B) 19.
France 1
Valbuena 44;
Germany 2
Mueller 51; Khedira 74;
Greece 0
Switzerland 0
Holland 1
Lens 33;
Italy 1
Verratti 90;
Hungary 1
Szabics 33;
Belarus 1
Volodko 59;
Iceland 0
Russia 2
Shirokov 43; Shatov 66;
Ireland 2
Clark 35; Hoolahan 76;
Poland 0
Israel 2
Vasat 2; Rafaelov 90;
Finland 1
Forsell 86;
Macedonia 3
Pandev 8; Ibraimi 17; Noveski 24;
Denmark 0
Malta 0
N. Ireland 0
Portugal 2
Ronaldo 23; Postiga 60;
Ecuador 3
Valencia 2; Pereira 61 og; Caicedo 71;
Romania 3
Tanase 34; Stancu 80; Torje 84;
Australia 2
Wilkshire 45 pen; Cornthwaite 54;
Scotland 1
Mulgrew 39;
Estonia 0
Slovenia 0
Bosnia 3
Ibisevic 33; Pjanic 42; Svraka 80;
South Korea 0
Croatia 4
Mandzukic 32; Srna 41; Jelavic 58; Petric 86;
Spain 3
Fabregas 16; Pedro 51, 74;
Uruguay 1
Rodriguez 32;
Sweden 2
Olsson 17; Elm 90;
Argentina 3
Lustig 3 og; Aguero 19; Higuain 23;
Turkey 0
Czech Rep. 2
Krejci 4; Lafata 28;
Ukraine 2
Morozyuk 17; Yarmolenko 42;
Norway 0
Red card: Mandzyuk (U) 84.
Missed penalty: Elyounoussi (N) 87.
Wales 2
Bale 21; Vokes 52;
Austria 1
Janko 75;