Number of past World Cup appearances: 22
Best Picture: Winner (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
First appearance: 1930 (Uruguay)
Top scorer: Ronaldo (15)
Most appearances: Kafu (20)
Player to watch: Vinicius Jr.
FIFA World Ranking: 6th place
Brazil is the only team to have played in every World Cup and is also the team with the most titles in the tournament, winning five titles. However, they have now gone a full 24 years without lifting a trophy. Recent disappointments have ranged from traumatic defeats (7-1 at home to Germany in 2014) to disappointing skivs (losing on penalties to Croatia in the 2022 quarter-finals).
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Brazil enters this World Cup as one of the least flashy teams to date, but their relative underdog position may mean they still have some sublime talent at their disposal. And the great manager Carlo Ancelotti is also in charge.
Additionally, Brazil has fond memories of the North American World Cup, winning the 1994 tournament in the United States on penalties after Roberto Baggio’s Italy team’s famous blunder. The victory also ended a 24-year drought.
Appointment of Ancelotti as manager
Dorival Junior was sacked as coach following a poor qualifying campaign that saw Brazil finish fifth in the CONMEBOL table. Last year, Ancelotti replaced him as Brazil’s first permanent foreign manager.
The Italian brings an impressive European pedigree to the role, having won five Champions League trophies as manager with Real Madrid and AC Milan. He also won titles in all five of Europe’s major leagues.
He has a track record of managing egos, injecting belief while being tactically astute and building winning, pragmatic sides.
However, he has yet to prove himself at the international level, with mixed results so far, including friendly wins against Colombia and Chile and a 2-1 loss against France in March.
Ancelotti has previously worked with some of the Brazilian national team, getting the best out of star player Vinicius Junior during his time at Madrid.
Will Vinicius be successful?
The Real Madrid forward is perhaps Brazil’s most powerful attacking weapon with his speed, trickery and goal threat.
He struggled at the start of this season at Madrid amid tensions with then-manager Xabi Alonso, but improved after taking over as manager Álvaro Arbeloa, eventually scoring 16 goals in La Liga.
Although he looks set to flourish on Madrid’s biggest stage, he hasn’t achieved much in a Brazil shirt, scoring just eight goals in 43 appearances for the A Selecao.
Ancelotti moved him from the left wing to play as a central striker, but that could reduce the space in which he can operate and also mean he is less able to track back and cover Bruno Guimarães or the slower Casemiro in midfield.
But when Vinicius is at his best, he’s almost unplayable, and he has the flair and unpredictability to make the difference in tight, cagey knockout games against the staunchest defenses.
Ancelotti punts Neymar
Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals has been plagued by injuries and has not played for the national team since sustaining a serious knee injury in October 2023, followed by several problems.
He reportedly endured at least 33 injuries from 2015 to 2025, missing almost four years of football in total.
Neymar has returned to Brazil with Santos after his troubles in Saudi Arabia, but he was left out of the March friendly squad due to a lack of fitness, so it was a surprise that Ancelotti named Neymar in his World Cup squad while excluding Chelsea’s player of the season, Joao Pedro.
“We evaluated Neymar throughout the year, and recently we have noticed that he has been playing consistently and his fitness has improved,” Ancelotti told reporters when announcing his squad.
“He has the same role and responsibilities as the other players, but he is an experienced player. It is true that in some positions we prioritized experience.”
Neymar, 34, returns after two years out injured and will be hoping to emulate Ronaldo, the great Brazilian striker who led Brazil to glory in 2002.
However, he was considerably older than Ronaldo at the time, and while his addition certainly pleased many fans, there is always the chance that he could become a divisive figure.
In fact, he recently made headlines for slapping a teammate and refusing to leave the pitch after being substituted.
talented supporting cast
Brazil boasts many other great talents besides Vincius Jr. and Neymar. Raphinha has grown in confidence after a sensational season with La Liga champions Barcelona, combining creativity and direct running with composure in front of goal and no worries about deadlines.
They have a number of other quality players in attack, such as Gabriel Martinelli, Endrik and Matheus Cunha, but the absence of Rodrygo and Estevao through injury is a big blow.
Guimarães became one of the Premier League’s best midfielders at Newcastle, while Casemiro enjoyed something of a late-career resurgence under Michael Carrick at Manchester United.
The defense, on the other hand, is well led by the experienced and indefatigable Marquinhos and should still have the luxury of playing in front of the world-class Alisson.
Does it all come together? Will their elite players emerge? Will they have the mental strength to overcome the inevitable moments of hardship? If they can answer these questions in the affirmative, Brazil has the ability to become surprise champions this summer.
What does their group look like?
Group C will bring back some nostalgia as the three teams played against each other at this stage in 1998: Brazil, Morocco and Scotland. Haiti is the wild card. They will be playing in their first tournament since 1974.
Morocco, the 2022 semi-finalists, will pose a tough test and will probably be hoping for a chance to pull off an upset in their first group game, but if Brazil fulfill their potential they should emerge winners from that draw.
Brazil proved to be too strong for Scotland and Haiti and should top the group if they defeat Atlas Lions in the crucial opening game.
Brazil group stage matches
⚽ June 13: Brazil vs. Morocco (East Rutherford, NJ), 6:00 PM (22:00 GMT)
⚽ June 19: Brazil vs. Haiti (Philadelphia) 9:30 p.m. (June 20, 1:30 a.m. Japan time)
⚽ June 24: Scotland vs Brazil (Miami), 6pm (22:00 GMT)
Al Jazeera predictions
Quarterfinals.
Despite their talent and top-notch coach, Brazil’s shortcomings and their rival’s strengths are likely to be decisive.
Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Fenerbahce), Weverton (Gremio)
Defenders: Alex Sandro, Danilo, Leo Pereira (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Ibanez (Al Ahly), Wesley (Roma), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal), Douglas Santos (Zenit St. Petersburg)
Midfielders: Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo Santos (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al Itihad), Lucas Paqueta (Flamengo)
Forwards: Endrik (Lyon), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Rafinha (Barcelona), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid), Luis Enrique (Zenit St. Petersburg), Neymar (Santos), Ryan (Bournemouth)
