Raphinha, Vinicius and Endrick’s ‘World Tour’: Brazil Stars Face 35,000-Km Travel Marathon

Xtratime Webdesk: Raphinha, Vinicius Junior, Endrick and the rest of Brazil’s star-studded squad ar embarking on a footballing world tour this international window.

What makes the Brazil team’s September-October schedule stand out is not just the quality of their opponents but the extraordinary amount of travel involved. The Selecao are set to cover roughly 34,000–35,000 kilometres, equivalent to around 87 per cent of the Earth’s circumference, while spending more than 50 hours in the air across the trip.

The journey began in Europe, with Brazil’s overseas-based players making their way to Australia. From there, Carlo Ancelotti’s side will play two friendlies against the Socceroos in Townsville on September 25 and Brisbane on September 29.

But the long-haul journey does not end there. After the second Australia game, Brazil will fly from Brisbane to Kolkata, where they will face India in a historic international friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium on October 3. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two senior national teams.

The trip will then continue as the Brazilian players head back to Spain, completing a route that stretches across multiple continents.

For players such as Raphinha, Vinicius and Endrick, the demanding schedule adds to an already packed football calendar. Long flights, time-zone changes and limited recovery time can add to the physical demands placed on elite players. Brazil have already had to manage workloads during their stay in Australia, with the squad adapting to the time difference and some players undergoing individual load management.

Yet international football comes with such commitments. For Brazil’s biggest stars, the travel is part of the job even as another long club season awaits after this unusual footballing journey across the globe.