Brazil set England friendly date

Rio de Janeiro State Governor Sergio Cabral has confirmed that Brazil will host England in a showpiece friendly on June 2, 2013.

The match will officially mark the re-opening of Rio's iconic Maracana Stadium, which is currently undergoing renovation work ahead of the 2014 World Cup.

England will first host the Selecao at Wembley on Wednesday, February 6 before travelling to Rio during the summer.

Work at the Maracana is due to be completed by next March, with the stadium due to host the 2014 World Cup Final and opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Olympic Games.

Confirmation of the fixture emerged hours after Brazil sacked their coach Mano Menezes two days on from a dramatic victory over Argentina in the Superclasico.