“We met a real good football team, and had a little to much respect for them, giving up the ball too easily,” Sweden coach Erik Hamrén told news agency TT after the game.

It was second-half replacement Alexandre Pato that helped Brazil to a convincing 3-0 victory.

Pato scored a quick-fire brace in the 84th and 87th minutes, the latter a penalty, to ensure Brazil’s dominance over a Swedish side missing injured captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Pelé and other members of Brazil’s 1958 World Cup-winning team were eager onlookers at the soon-to-be demolished Råsunda Stadium, centrepiece of those World Cup finals which Brazil won after beating hosts Sweden 5-2.

Brazil coach Mano Menezes picked a team based around the one that lost 2-1 to Mexico in the football final at the recently-finished London Olympics, bolstered by the inclusion of Dani Alves, David Luiz, Paulinho and Ramires.

Leandro Damiao, golden boot at the Olympics, duly opened the scoring for the visiting South American giants in the 32nd minute, directing a powerful header past Sweden captain and goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson.

Damiao was replaced by AC Milan’s Pato in the 76th minute and made an immeidate nuisance of himself among a flagging home defence.

A lucky richochet off his head from a tentative Hulk shot fell to Dani Alves out on the right, and the Barcelona defender played it square for Pato to head home with the keeper nowhere to be seen.

Just a minute later, Pontus Werblom was yellow carded for hacking Pato down in the penalty area.

Pato himself stepped up and drove home the penalty to see out what both sides saw as a thoroughly deserved win.

Sweden will meet Kazakhstan in the World Cup qualifier in September and the Faroe Islands on October 12th before meeting group favourites Germany four days later in Berlin.