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The large stars person turned up for nan 2026 World Cup. Lamine Yamal returned to nan Spain squad to thief them listen Saudi Arabia. Lionel Messi is nan tournament’s apical scorer, giving Argentina dream of pinning “la cuarta estrella” to their shirts. And Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo are each vying for nan Golden Boot arsenic their teams look towards to nan adjacent stage.
However, nan five-time champions Brazil are failing to convince. They vanished 5th successful nan Conmebol qualifying array pinch 28 points from 18 games, their worst ever qualifying campaign. Being competitory successful a 2-1 conclusion to France successful March, earlier wins against Croatia, Panama and Egypt successful friendlies, possibly gave mendacious hope.
Brazil were fortunate to get distant pinch a 1-1 tie against Morocco successful their opening crippled aft going down early and being outclassed for astir of nan match. Only Vinícius Júnior saved them pinch a infinitesimal of individual brilliance.
Anything little than a goleada (one-sided, high-scoring thrashing) against Haiti would person been deemed a failure. That was nan connection from backmost home. Casemiro snippily replied pinch a sarcastic grimace and look distant while bleating “3-0?”, erstwhile asked if his squad had convinced successful their 2nd game. Beating a state that has qualified for nan World Cup for nan first clip successful 52 years is not going to triumph complete everyone.
Brazil were not peculiarly awesome successful nan goalless 2nd half, doing small to quell nan feelings of “apprehension and distrust” that Mauro Cezar Pereira – 1 of nan country’s biggest pundits – has picked up connected successful Brazil. “Those who understand moreover nan basics of shot don’t person overmuch faith,” he says, adding that Carlo Ancelotti’s activity is “far beneath what it should be”.
Paulo Vinícius Coelho, different heavyweight of Brazilian punditry known arsenic PVC, says Brazilians “feel for illustration we’re seeing a squad that isn’t showing overmuch motion of having a awesome World Cup – and that to do truthful they will person to amended during nan tournament”.
Most of nan large names person stepped up astatine this World Cup and, pinch 2 goals and an assistance truthful far, Vini Jr could beryllium thrown into nan group of 2026 elites. But he is by nary intends nan Brazil squad’s top prima successful position of reputation. That billing goes to nan nationalist team’s all-time highest scorer, Neymar, who is successful nan squad but yet to play a azygous infinitesimal of what is expected to beryllium his last World Cup.
The drama around whether nan 34-year-old would beryllium called up aliases not was worthy of a Globo novela. It would surely beryllium much absorbing than Convocadas – nan reality show astir nan players and their partners that Globo showed successful nan buildup to nan tournament.
Neymar’s saga was rife pinch crippled twists and conspiracy theories. The thought that Santos and Neymar staged a supposed officiating blunder, where his number was held up for him to beryllium substituted because he didn’t person nan intends to transportation connected playing successful a convention match, fell into nan second category. So does nan communicative that Ancelotti did not want to telephone him up but ultimately buckled to forestall a imaginable backlash for not doing so.
In immoderate event, he is going. The TV pundit Neto – who has criticised Neymar for visiting much barbecue restaurants than he has starred successful games – says Neymar lacks attraction and fitness. “Do you spot Messi injured pinch a calf strain, for illustration Neymar is?,” Neto posed connected a broadcast of his Os Donos da Bola programme. “No! Can you deliberation of a musculus injury, an ankle sprain from Messi, a knee sprain, prostate problems? When did Messi spell 10 days without training aliases miss 5 games successful a row? Neymar, that’s each I want from you. Just that. He’s 39 years old, you’re 34. And what does Neymar do? A gender uncover party.”
Pereira, a known professional of nan forward, takes a akin line. “Neymar shouldn’t moreover beryllium successful nan nationalist team,” he says. “He hasn’t played for 36 days aft going 30 without rubbing a ball. He didn’t guidelines retired for Santos against Recoleta of Paraguay, really will he guidelines retired successful nan World Cup?”
Despite his deficiency of action connected nan pitch, Neymar still dominates statement successful Brazil. O Globo reports that nan scheme is for Neymar to person a fewer minutes against Scotland, but only if Brazil are successful a “favourable” situation. Given his wounded layoff, location are concerns astir putting him successful to “solve” nan lucifer “because he does not person nan beingness conditions and hit to scope his maximum” level. The thought is to play him arsenic a mendacious nine, “so arsenic not to person truthful galore marking assignments”.
In nan buildup to nan Scotland game, a training crushed clip has circulated. It shows Neymar going successful accelerated and taking nan shot from his Danilo, pinch Casemiro applauding his efforts successful a wide jokey vibe. “You’re really going for it, huh,” comes 1 remark and Neymar replies: “Don’t get utilized to it, eh!”
Asked astir really galore minutes Neymar tin play against Scotland, Ancelotti responded: “I tin play 90 minutes walking. Neymar’s well, he tin play, I’m very happy pinch him.” Following his missed header and mediocre capacity against Morocco, Igor Thiago is improbable to reclaim his spot arsenic nan cardinal target man, particularly aft Matheus Cunha scored doubly against Haiti.
Cunha tin play up apical aliases arsenic a No 10 who drops heavy truthful nan 2 wingers tin play arsenic strikers. Ancelotti utilized this strategy to awesome effect successful nan 2023-24 season, pinch Vini Jr and Rodrygo providing nan width and helping Real Madrid triumph La Liga and nan Champions League. Rodrygo is missing nan full tourney and Raphinha picked up a hamstring wounded against Haiti, truthful immoderate tinkering is required to nan attack. Plenty of fans backmost location would for illustration to spot Endrick fixed a chance but Ancelotti seems unconvinced by nan teenager.
The defence improved against Haiti, keeping a cleanable sheet, but Casemiro and his chap midfielders person been criticised for a perceived deficiency of mobility. He whitethorn person won nan Champions League 5 times for Real Madrid and performed good for Manchester United this season, but that doesn’t magnitude to a elevation of beans for Brazil fans who want to spot nan aged warhorse “run more”.
Maybe catching upwind of this, Casemiro was nan subordinate who ran nan astir against Haiti aft being nan slowest successful nan Morocco draw. Mauro Cezar noted improvements successful nan mediate of nan park. “Initially, nan coach intended to group up nan squad successful a 4-2-4 formation. Now it’s a 4-3-3. In immoderate case, nan midfield improved successful nan 2nd game, pinch adjustments successful nan positioning of nan players successful that area.
“There was a bully capacity from Lucas Paquetá, arsenic good arsenic changeless support and aggravated information from Matheus Cunha, who should ne'er person been taken retired of nan squad to make measurement for Igor Thiago, arsenic happened successful nan opening match.”
Moving forward, PVC thinks location is simply a solution. “The squad has improved a small pinch Paquetá, but Danilo, who’s connected nan bench, would bring versatility to nan midfield.” That said, he is not wholly positive. “The truth is that Brazil person wasted 4 years of work,” adds PVC. “The squad isn’t ready. The squad has bully players, but it doesn’t person a cohesive unit”.
Expectations backmost location are low. Brazil could look Japan aliases nan Netherlands successful nan adjacent round, past possibly Germany aliases France successful nan last-16 depending connected results. A quarter-final showdown pinch England can’t beryllium ruled retired either.
“They mightiness not moreover make it to nan past 16; they’ll person to amended a batch to advance,” suggests Pereira. PVC is much positive, though cautious. “Brazil tin amended during nan title and effort to scope nan semi-finals. This could hap if nan matchups are easier – for example, if Sweden hit Japan. If Brazil and nan Netherlands look each other, Brazil could beryllium eliminated successful nan first knockout round. This could happen, for example, if they suffer to Scotland,” he warns.
In immoderate event, specified nonaccomplishment will not costs Ancelotti his job. He gets a “full cycle” until aft nan 2030 World Cup arsenic per his contract, and truthful a afloat 4 years to prepare, including nan 2028 Copa América. The honeymoon play is over, though, and he’s already emotion nan heat.
This is an article by Tom Sanderson
