World Cup preview: Brazil
The five-time champions are loaded with talent
Previous World Cup appearances: All of them
Best finish: Champions (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
Group stage schedule: vs. Serbia (Nov. 24), vs. Switzerland (Nov. 28), vs. Cameroon (Dec. 2)
Notes: All stats accurate as of Nov. 9, 2022.
The breakdown
How they qualified: Brazil collected the most points in CONMEBOL qualifying, winning 14 of their 17 games and drawing the other three. Their 18th game was suspended after Brazilian health officials came onto the field requesting four Argentine players accused of violating COVID-19 protocols be quarantined1. The game was eventually canceled2.
Names to know:
Casemiro (Manchester United) — Casemiro made four starts at the last World Cup, five starts at the 2021 Copa América and nine starts during qualifying. One of the premier defensive midfielders of his generation, he won five Champions League titles and three La Liga titles in 10 seasons with Real Madrid. The 30-year-old left the Spanish giants for Manchester United this summer.
Danilo (Juventus) — Despite making his national team debut right after the 2014 World Cup, Danilo had only played in one game at a major tournament (2018 World Cup against Switzerland) prior to last summer’s Copa América. He was the only Brazilian player to feature in every game at Copa América and log more than 1,000 minutes during qualifying. Danilo has made more than 50 appearances for Juventus, Manchester City and Real Madrid.
Neymar (PSG) — There is a legitimate chance Neymar leaves Qatar as the leading goalscorer and second-most capped player in the history of the Brazilian men’s national team3. The PSG winger has six goals and two assists in 10 career appearances at the World Cup and produced 10 more goal involvements than any of his teammates during qualifying. He also converted the penalty kick that gave Brazil a gold medal on home soil at the 2016 Olympics.
Marquinhos (PSG) — Nobody played more combined minutes between the 2021 Copa América and World Cup qualifying for Brazil than Marquinhos, who got on the field for a single minute at the 2018 World Cup. The 28-year-old center back is in his 10th season with PSG and recently made his 250th start for the club. He scored twice in his 14 appearances during qualifying.
Vinicius Júnior (Real Madrid) — Vinicius’ lone goal for Brazil came against Chile during qualifying4, but no conversation about this Brazil squad is complete without the Real Madrid superstar. He produced the second-most goal involvements in La Liga (17 goals, 10 assists) and scored the only goal in the Champions League final in what was a remarkable breakout season in 2021-22. Transfermarkt has him listed as the third-most valuable player in the world.
Potential breakout star: Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)
Martinelli has made three appearances for Brazil, all of which came as a substitute. His impressive start for Premier League-leading Arsenal (5 goals and 2 assists in 13 league appearances) earned the 21-year-old a spot on the World Cup squad as one of the most promising young players in the world.
The bottom line
Reason for optimism: They can’t keep coming up short forever
The closest Brazil have gotten since winning in 2002 was the fourth-place finish in 2014 that included the 7-1 humiliation by Germany in the semifinals. It’s hard to believe a squad this good is going to bow out in the quarterfinals for the fourth time in five tournaments.
Biggest question: Will the lack of midfield creativity be a problem?
Brazil’s attacking depth is preposterous. The biggest names behind the attackers in the midfield are Bruno Guimarães and three players who are not asked to do much of anything offensively. If there is a hole to poke in this team, that is it.
Here’s the deal:
Anything less than a sixth World Cup title is a disappointment. It’s that simple.