Scotland to meet Brazil in London

Scotland will play Brazil in a friendly in London on March 27, the Scottish Football Association have announced.

The match will be played at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and will pit the two sides against each other for the first time since 1998, when they met at the FIFA World Cup in France – the last time Scotland featured in a major tournament.

The match comes at a good time for Scotland after consecutive 3-0 wins over Northern Ireland and the Faroe Islands as a new generation of stars begin to come through at national team level.

The likes of Blackpool’s Charlie Adam (25 years old), Wigan’s James McArthur (23), Leeds United’s Robert Snodgrass and Aston Villa’s Barry Bannan (both 21) have all made their bows for their country after shining at club level this season and will enjoy the opportunity to test themselves against the five-time World Cup winners.

“This game will not only capture the imagination of the Scotland support but also the squad, who will relish the prospect of testing their skills against one of the finest international teams in world football,” Scotland boss Craig Levein said.

“I believe the recent performances – and not simply the results – against the Faroe Islands and Northern Ireland have given the whole country a lot of encouragement for the second half of the Euro 2012 qualification campaign and beyond.”

“The players have a confidence in the way forward and while I believe the most important aspect of the forthcoming international break is to further cultivate a club Scotland culture within the squad, the opportunity to play Brazil was irresistible.”

The friendly will kick off at 2pm and will come after Scotland spend a week in Spain, with a five-day training camp at La Manga resort.

Scotland have not played in London since 1999, and a large contingent of fans are expected to travel south for the match.