Aminul rules out funding for a possible Brazil match in Dhaka

The Bangladesh government will not spend public money to bring Brazil’s national football team to Dhaka for a proposed friendly match in October, State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque said on Tuesday.

The Bangladesh Football Federation has been exploring the possibility of hosting the five-time world champions during the September-October FIFA international window.

Brazil are scheduled to play India in Kolkata during the same window.

A delegation from the Brazilian Football Confederation recently visited Dhaka and inspected the National Stadium and Bashundhara Kings Arena.

It found the grounds satisfactory but suggested improvements to security, dressing rooms and other facilities.

The proposal is still at an early stage, Aminul said.

There is no final decision yet on whether Brazil will come to Bangladesh, and the financial arrangements have not been discussed in detail. The government also does not want to take on the cost of hosting the team.

“We do not have the mindset or the scope to spend this kind of money on a single match at this time,” Aminul said, pointing to the government’s spending pressures in sectors including electricity and fuel.

He said the government would support the event if the BFF could secure enough sponsorship to cover the costs.

Aminul also questioned how much Bangladesh’s football would gain from playing Brazil.

A match against the five-time world champions would be a major event for Bangladeshi fans and a memorable occasion for the national team, he said. But he did not expect one game to bring a fundamental change to the country’s football.