Brazil welcomed by a song and dance carnival; Belgium train for Kazan clash

Brazil's national soccer team was welcomed to Kazan Thursday by throngs of fans dressed in national colours and belting out traditional songs to set up the atmosphere ahead if their hotly-anticipated FIFA World Cup quarter-final tie with Belgium. 

Both nations were widely tipped to win the competition, but only one can progress into the semi-finals from Friday's game, where they will face either France or Uruguay. 

The healthy contingent of Brazil fans gathered to watch their national team arrive and burst into song and dance when the team bus arrived at the hotel where Neymar Jr, Gabriel Jesus, Marcelo, Philippe Coutinho and the rest of the star-studded squad will base themselves ahead of the crunch tie. 

Head coach Tite's squad will come up against the likes of Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne.

Meanwhile, Belgium's players on Thursday went through a training session at the team's base camp near Moscow ahead of their 2018 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match against Brazil.

Among those who took part in the practice led by head coach Roberto Martinez were defenders Thomas Meunier and Vincent Kompany, midfielders Axel Witsel, Adnan Januzaj and Yannick Carrasco, and forward Eden Hazard, as documented by an efe-epa journalist.

The team went undefeated with three straight victories over Panama, Tunisia and England in the group stage then struggled to overturn a two-goal deficit with Japan, although eventually walked away with a 3-2 victory thanks to a last-minute goal.

Belgium will take on Brazil at the Kazan Arena on Friday.