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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPanaji: Sandesh Jhingan brushed aside the \u2018news\u2019 when his wife showed him her phone. Not everything you see on social media is true, the India captain told her. Lallianzuala Chhangte thought it was a \u2018joke\u2019, while Akash Mishra had to pinch himself to realise this wasn\u2019t a dream. The news, however, was true: India will take on the might of Brazil in a football friendly this year in Kolkata. The match takes place at the iconic Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan on Oct 3. On paper, it\u2019s the biggest mismatch involving Brazil, the world\u2019s favourite national football team, five-time world champions, ranked fifth in the world.Their opponents, India, are a poor 138. It hardly looks like a fair fight. Little wonder nobody is even asking how many slings David will need to bring down the Goliath.\u201cAs an athlete, a footballer, you always crave for that big stage, the biggest opponent,\u201d said Jhingan, who has put himself on the line against top-ranked opposition in the past. \u201cYou want to go up against the finest, best (team) in the world. Brazil have the best players. It excites us, though not in a generic way. It\u2019s a game that not many footballers have a chance to experience.\u201dThose 90 minutes on the field will be historic for the players who get picked by coach Khalid Jamil. Jhingan, a player with an elite mindset, looks at the minutes differently: \u201cImagine a point, and how much it will help in our world ranking.\u201dEven for Akash Mishra, it\u2019s not just another game. \u201cSometimes, one game can inspire a lot of people,\u201d the Mumbai City defender told TOI. \u201cIf we perform well, it can give our supporters hope, inspire more youngsters to take up football, and show them that Indian football is moving in the right direction.\u201dIndian football has clearly seen better days. Clubs are shutting shop, there\u2019s uncertainty over top tier leagues, wealthier clubs are reducing budgets. It does not help that the national team has won just one of its last 11 games, many against lower-ranked opponents. \u201cWe\u2019ve struggled with results, and naturally the supporters are disappointed. We understand that, and as players we take that responsibility. But playing against a team like Brazil is a massive opportunity. Games like these give us invaluable experience. Most of us don\u2019t get the chance to play against players of this level, so we can learn a lot,\u201d said Mishra.Chhangte, who has more than a decade\u2019s experience of playing for the national team, was recovering from his hand injury at home in Mizoram when he heard the news. Opponents like Nigeria and Jamaica, part of the Unity Cup, are still believable, but Brazil are the stuff that dreams are made of. \u201cSeriously, I didn\u2019t think it was true,\u201d said Chhangte. \u201cWe\u2019ve grown up watching superstars like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Kaka, Neymar, and to have a chance to share the pitch with Brazil is truly special. But once the match kicks off, we should not fear anyone.\u201cAs India players, we must give everything for the country. One result can change everything (for Indian football). If we can fight as one, we have a chance to secure a positive result.\u201d<\/div>\n