Brazil and Australia Renew Rivalry 28 Years After Record Confederations Cup Final
The short version
- Brazil beat Australia 6-0 in the 1997 Confederations Cup final in Riyadh, with hat-tricks from Ronaldo and Romário.
- Australia and Brazil played a goalless draw in the group stage of that tournament.
- Romário won the Golden Boot with seven goals; Denílson was named best player.
- Brazil won four Confederations Cups (1997, 2005, 2009, 2013), the most in the competition's history.
- The sides meet in friendlies Friday in Townsville and Tuesday in Brisbane.
Brazil beat Australia 6-0 in the 1997 Confederations Cup final as Ronaldo and Romário each scored three goals ahead of this week's friendlies.
Brazil and Australia will meet in two friendlies during the current FIFA international window, a matchup that recalls one of the most lopsided finals in the Seleção's history. The teams were drawn together when Brazil captured the 1997 Confederations Cup, the first edition of the tournament organized by FIFA.
The final took place on December 21, 1997, at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Brazil, coached by Zagallo, won 6-0, with strikers Ronaldo and Romário — the famed Ro-Ro pairing — scoring three goals each. Australia's task grew harder when Mark Viduka was sent off in the 24th minute with Brazil already leading.
It was the second meeting between the sides in that tournament after a goalless group-stage draw in Group A. Brazil opened its campaign with a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia, with two goals from Romário and one from César Sampaio, then closed group play with a 3-2 victory over Mexico. Ronaldo and Romário each scored in a 2-0 semifinal win over the Czech Republic.
Romário finished as the tournament's top scorer with seven goals and was named second-best player, while Denílson earned best player honors and Ronaldo took the Bronze Boot with four goals. The 1997 title was the first of Brazil's record four Confederations Cup crowns, with further wins in 2005, 2009 and 2013. The final edition of the competition was held in 2017.
Australia gained a measure of revenge in 2001, beating Brazil 1-0 in the third-place match on June 9 of that year at Munsu Cup Stadium in Ulsan, South Korea.
The upcoming friendlies are part of Brazil's preparation for the 2028 Copa América and the 2030 World Cup. The first match is set for Friday at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville, kicking off at 8 p.m. local time, with the second following Tuesday at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane at the same local start time.
Games to watch
