2 weeks ago
In their attacking heyday, Brazil ne'er struggled to find a winning complement successful defence. Individual attacking brilliance only comes disconnected if others adjacent are doing nan difficult yards; for each Ronaldinho, location is simply a Roque Júnior.
The existent procreation doesn’t deficiency entertainers. Of Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man squad for nan World Cup, which was announced connected Monday, 9 players are listed arsenic attackers, a precocious number for astir squads, pinch 9 defenders near to sweat their responsibilities whenever possession changes hands.
A byproduct of increasing nan size of men’s World Cup squads from 23 to 26 is that it’s easier to see specialists who whitethorn different person mislaid retired to much versatile alternatives. That’s nan way Neymar has taken to his 4th World Cup squad, akin to Colombia’s James Rodríguez: a generational fig who tin animate his broadside moreover successful short bursts. Just arsenic astonishing is nan inclusion of Endrick, who struggled to go portion of Ancelotti’s plans astatine Real Madrid. His shape connected indebtedness astatine Lyon this play was unmissable, though, and nan 19-year-old who was erstwhile hyped arsenic Brazil’s champion imaginable since Neymar will effort to rectify a mediocre commencement to his world career.
“It whitethorn not beryllium nan cleanable group, but it is simply a focused, concentrated, humble, selfless group,” Ancelotti said aft naming his squad. “My thought is focused connected nan collective, not nan individual.”
A twelvemonth removed from his 2nd spell astatine nan Bernabeu, Ancelotti has had conscionable 10 games to measure his excavation of players arsenic he prepares for his first World Cup arsenic a manager. The tourney isn’t altogether caller to him: he was a personnel of Italy’s squad successful 1990 and an adjunct connected Arrigo Sacchi’s unit erstwhile they reached nan last successful 1994.
The victor of that game, of course, was Brazil. While Romario, different successful nan nation’s litany of generational forwards, shone successful that tournament, nan existent magic came from Carlos Alberto Parreira’s clasp of pragmatism. He recognized location was a scarcity of showmen to transportation nan attack, truthful he built a building that proved difficult for opponents to overwhelm. A due 4-4-2, pinch Dunga and Mauro Silva forming a stout double-pivot arsenic productivity came down nan flanks. History has held nan 1994 type up arsenic a reminder that Brazil tin triumph without having a subordinate for illustration Pele, Ronaldo, aliases Ronaldinho arsenic a figurehead – possibly astatine nan disbursal of Romario’s legacy.
It’s easy to ideate Ancelotti unfurling a trademark raise of his eyebrow erstwhile surveying his excavation complete nan past year. This group of Brazilian players is lacking successful important areas, particularly astatine full-back. They’ll astir apt person plentifulness of activity to do, arsenic they will almost surely person to screen for nan patient contingent of attackers successful nan last third, and uncovering a stout guidelines could thief relive nan utilitarian magic from 1994. Alisson is 1 of nan champion goalkeepers successful nan world, but he whitethorn request to declare plentifulness of crosses if his full-backs are drawn retired of position.
Thankfully, center-back nary longer looks for illustration a liability for Brazil. Marquinhos and Gabriel are starring defenders for Arsenal and PSG, this season’s Champions League finalists. Bremer has rebounded, on pinch nan remainder of Juventus, while Roger Ibañez has stuck astir nan nationalist squad since leaving Roma for Al-Ahli successful 2023. Ancelotti besides picked nan Flamengo business of Danilo and Léo Pereira, nan second a 30-year-old pinch conscionable 2 caps to his name. Then again, they went each 90 minutes successful Flamengo’s celebrated 3-1 triumph complete Chelsea astatine past summer’s Club World Cup; they are a well-rehearsed tandem who could travel successful useful arsenic rotation is needed.
It’s tempting to deliberation that nan midfield is thin, pinch conscionable 5 options successful nan squad. Casemiro, who played nether Ancelotti astatine Real Madrid, has had a singular rebound from a mediocre 2024-25, while Bruno Guimaraes arrives aft different fantabulous run pinch an different floundering Newcastle. Danilo Santos is simply a captious fig for Botafogo, and nan different midfielders successful nan squad, Fabinho and Lucas Paquetá, bring ample experience.
And yes, location are plentifulness of entertainers. Vinícius Jr will dream to put distant a signature tourney showing for Brazil astatine agelong last. There’s title for center-forward, particularly fixed João Pedro’s daze omission successful spite of his Chelsea form, pinch Igor Thiago nan man successful form, and Endrick and Matheus Cunha nan alternatives. The wingers will make opposing full-backs sweat: Bournemouth’s Rayan is among nan world’s astir tantalizing teenagers and Raphinha, Gabriel Martinelli, and Luiz Henrique connection their ain on-ball brilliance.
Brazil struggled arsenic they seldom person earlier successful their qualifying campaign. They vanished 5th among South America’s six automatic qualifiers, losing a astonishing six matches. They had mislaid 5 matches mixed successful their qualifiers for nan 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cups. Then again, nan past clip they mislaid six times successful a qualifying run was for nan 2002 World Cup, and they went connected to triumph nan tournament.
There’s an eerie symmetry betwixt that rhythm and this one. In some qualifying campaigns, Argentina and Ecuador vanished first and second, while Brazil narrowly edged up of Paraguay connected extremity difference. Then again, Ancelotti seems alert that 1994 whitethorn beryllium a much fitting parallel for his task this summer.
“I person nan knowledge and nan assurance that this squad tin compete pinch nan champion successful nan world,” Ancelotti said. “Can we triumph nan World Cup and scope nan final? Yes, we tin make it to nan final. But I don’t cognize if that is capable – nan champion point is to get location and triumph nan final.”
Brazil squad for 2026 World Cup
Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Fenerbahce), Weverton (Gremio).
Defenders: Alex Sandro (Flamengo), Danilo (Flamengo), Léo Pereira (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Roger Ibañez (Al-Ahli), Wesley (Roma), Marquinhos (Paris St-Germain), Gabriel (Arsenal), Douglas Santos (Zenit St. Petersburg).
Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo Santos (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al-Ittihad), Lucas Paquetá (Flamengo).
Forwards: Endrick (Lyon), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Raphinha (Barcelona), Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid), Luiz Henrique (Zenit), Neymar (Santos), Rayan (Bournemouth).
