Despite the afterglow of last week’s spirited 1-1 draw against 2026 World Cuppers Panama in Bengaluru, the arrival of the Blue Tigers in this football-crazy city has been accompanied by a mixture of hope and dread — and certainly not in equal measure.

On Saturday, Khalid Jamil’s men face five-time world champions Brazil at the Salt Lake Stadium in the second of three friendlies against World Cup-bound nations in less than a fortnight. It is World No. 138 vs World No. 5.