Panaji: Sandesh Jhingan brushed aside the ‘news’ when his wife showed him her phone. Not everything you see on social media is true, the India captain told her. Lallianzuala Chhangte thought it was a ‘joke’, while Akash Mishra had to pinch himself to realise this wasn’t a dream. The news, however, was true: India will take on the might of Brazil in a football friendly this year in Kolkata. The match takes place at the iconic Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan on Oct 3. On paper, it’s the biggest mismatch involving Brazil, the world’s favourite national football team, five-time world champions, ranked fifth in the world.Their opponents, India, are a poor 138. It hardly looks like a fair fight. Little wonder nobody is even asking how many slings David will need to bring down the Goliath.“As an athlete, a footballer, you always crave for that big stage, the biggest opponent,” said Jhingan, who has put himself on the line against top-ranked opposition in the past. “You want to go up against the finest, best (team) in the world. Brazil have the best players. It excites us, though not in a generic way. It’s a game that not many footballers have a chance to experience.”Those 90 minutes on the field will be historic for the players who get picked by coach Khalid Jamil. Jhingan, a player with an elite mindset, looks at the minutes differently: “Imagine a point, and how much it will help in our world ranking.”Even for Akash Mishra, it’s not just another game. “Sometimes, one game can inspire a lot of people,” the Mumbai City defender told TOI. “If we perform well, it can give our supporters hope, inspire more youngsters to take up football, and show them that Indian football is moving in the right direction.”Indian football has clearly seen better days. Clubs are shutting shop, there’s uncertainty over top tier leagues, wealthier clubs are reducing budgets. It does not help that the national team has won just one of its last 11 games, many against lower-ranked opponents. “We’ve struggled with results, and naturally the supporters are disappointed. We understand that, and as players we take that responsibility. But playing against a team like Brazil is a massive opportunity. Games like these give us invaluable experience. Most of us don’t get the chance to play against players of this level, so we can learn a lot,” said Mishra.Chhangte, who has more than a decade’s experience of playing for the national team, was recovering from his hand injury at home in Mizoram when he heard the news. Opponents like Nigeria and Jamaica, part of the Unity Cup, are still believable, but Brazil are the stuff that dreams are made of. “Seriously, I didn’t think it was true,” said Chhangte. “We’ve grown up watching superstars like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Kaka, Neymar, and to have a chance to share the pitch with Brazil is truly special. But once the match kicks off, we should not fear anyone.“As India players, we must give everything for the country. One result can change everything (for Indian football). If we can fight as one, we have a chance to secure a positive result.”