World Cup rematch in Singapore as Brazil face Japan at The Kallang in November

[SINGAPORE] Tens of thousands of football fans from Singapore and around the world will be at the National Stadium this November for a major four-nation event involving the Lions, five-time World Cup winners Brazil, four-time Asian Cup champions Japan, and two-time Copa America winners Paraguay.

The inaugural Mizuho Blue Challenge – The Kallang Football Series Singapore will take place at The Kallang from Nov 13 to 17, which is in the final men’s Fifa international match window of the year.

The Kallang Group and Dentsu Sports International announced the event on Thursday (Sep 3); four matches will be played on three match days.

Singapore will kick things off on Nov 13, when they face the 34th-ranked Paraguay – a team that shocked Germany on penalties to reach the Round of 16 at this year’s Fifa World Cup.

A day later, fans will get to witness a mouth-watering World Cup 2026 rematch when Brazil play Japan. The South American giants defeated Japan 2-1 in the tournament’s Round of 32, with former Arsenal star forward Gabriel Martinelli scoring a dramatic last-minute winner.

This is the second time that Brazil and Japan will square off against each other on Singapore soil.

Back in 2014, Neymar netted all four goals, as Brazil comfortably beat the Blue Samurai 4-0 in a friendly match watched by nearly 52,000 spectators.

There will be a double-header on Nov 17, with Singapore playing Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil, followed by a match between Japan and Paraguay.

“Significant milestone”

The Mizuho Blue Challenge is the first proprietary sports property in The Kallang’s portfolio.

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This event is supported by title sponsor Mizuho Financial Group, and is part of the celebrations to commemorate six decades of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Japan.

Daryl Yeo, the chief operating and chief experience officer of The Kallang Group, said the event marks a “significant milestone” in the company’s growth, as it evolves from operating venues to creating world-class event properties.

The inaugural tournament “reflects our commitment to bringing premier sporting action to Singapore and creating more opportunities for fans and communities to come together”, he added.

Dentsu Sports Asia’s managing director Tomonori Ito said the Mizuho Blue Challenge “has all the ingredients” to become a celebrated fixture on Asia’s football calendar.

“Singapore offers the ideal setting for international sport, and in The Kallang, we have a partner that shares our ambition to create premier football events in the region.”

Tickets for the Mizuho Blue Challenge go on sale on Ticketmaster from noon on Sep 4. Prices start at S$28 for the Singapore versus Paraguay game, while those for the Brazil-Japan match are priced from S$98. The double-header on Nov 17 is available as a single ticket and is priced from S$98.