Brazil FIFA World Cup 2026 — Player to watch out for, tactics, predicted XI

With the Brazilian national football team, winning is never enough. For his obsessive fanbase, a ruthless triumph is as good as a defeat, as Carlos Alberto Parreira discovered in 1994.

After masterminding Brazil’s World Cup victory in the United States as head coach, Parreira was welcomed not with accolades but with ruthless criticism of his sloppy, pragmatic football. Even Parreira’s own mother took shots at him and criticized his team selections.

But Brazil’s spiraling form in recent years has been such that supporters would take credit one way or the other at the upcoming World Cup.

It has been 24 years since Brazil last played a World Cup final. The South Americans have struggled in the tournament’s knockouts, losing to five different European teams in the past five editions.

To make matters worse, Brazil stumbled through the South American qualifiers this time, finishing a lowly fifth place. The ticket to North America was only stamped thanks to the rejuvenation achieved by the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti as head coach midway through the campaign.

Although there are signs of improvement under Ancelotti, this Brazilian unit clearly lacks the power and allure of the past.

The Italian tactician has a poor quality squad, with the centre-forward role and wing-back positions being the most glaring problems.

Although Igor Thiago had a brilliant Premier League season, scoring 22 goals, his lack of international experience is a disadvantage. The other options are Matheus Cunha and Endrick – two players better suited to attacking roles.

The full-back situation is even bleaker, with the likes of Danilo, Wesley, Douglas Santos and Alex Sandro not offering the quality that Brazil or Ancelotti are used to.

However, Ancelotti has the luxury of deploying Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhaes, two elite centre-backs, along with the ever-reliable Alisson in goal, providing a solid defensive structure.

Before them would be the steel of Casemiro and the craft of Bruno Guimaraes, while Raphinha and Vinicius Jr. will provide the burst of energy from the wings.

Ancelotti’s biggest squad call-up was bringing in Neymar, whose career has been blighted by injuries in recent years. The 34-year-old has seemingly proven his fitness at Santos in recent months in a desperate bid to make the cut.

While his return may seem like Ancelotti is calming Brazil’s desire for a totem, Neymar could be the spark the team needs, at least from the bench.

What Neymar could offer Brazil is an infusion of creativity, especially against teams with well-coordinated low blocks. This prospect seems extremely likely in a tough Group C, against the likes of Morocco, Scotland and Haiti.

Players to watch out for

After enjoying a fruitful farewell season at Manchester United, Casemiro will anchor Brazil’s midfield at the World Cup.

As well as his determined defensive skills, Casemiro will also put his goalscoring skills to use in the air, having scored a career-high nine goals for United in the 2025-2026 season.

COACH

Carlo Ancelotti knows how to win the big titles. His glittering CV includes 36 trophies, including a record five UEFA Champions League victories.

Ancelotti arrived in Brazil in 2025 and took on perhaps the toughest coaching job in world football. The Italian’s mastery of high-stakes moments will be crucial to Brazil’s success at the World Cup.

TEAM

• Goalkeepers: Alisson, Ederson, Weverton

• Defenders: Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bremer, Leo Pereira, Danilo, Wesley, Douglas Santos, Alex Sandro, Ibanez

• Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes, Casemiro, Danilo S., Lucas Paqueta, Fabinho

• Forwards: Vinicius Jr., Raphinha, Gabriel Martinelli, Endrick, Igor Thiago, Matheus Cunha, Neymar, Luiz Henrique, Rayan.

Published on June 5, 2026