Brazil enters the 2026 World Cup under Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti, seeking to break a 24-year title drought since their last victory in 2002, and the team is evolving from its traditional reliance on a sole No. 9 and the influence of Neymar, who is now considered a "wild card" rather than the central figure. Ancelotti is building a new identity that blends Brazilian flair with European tactical pragmatism, focusing on a strong defensive core featuring centre-backs Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhaes, a midfield partnership of Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes with Lucas Paqueta providing creativity, and dynamic wingers Vinicius Junior and Raphinha leading the attack, supported by the emerging talent of Endrick. Despite injury setbacks to key players like Rodrygo, Eder Militao, Estavao, and Wesley, and facing questions about their experienced but aging full-backs, Brazil, driven by a national expectation of winning, aims for their sixth World Cup title, drawing inspiration from their previous 24-year gap between victories ending in 1994.

Brazil enters the 2026 World Cup under Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti, seeking to break a 24-year title drought since their last victory in 2002, and the team is evolving from its traditional reliance on a sole No. 9 and the influence of Neymar, who is now considered a "wild card" rather than the central figure. Ancelotti is building a new identity that blends Brazilian flair with European tactical pragmatism, focusing on a strong defensive core featuring centre-backs Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhaes, a midfield partnership of Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes with Lucas Paqueta providing creativity, and dynamic wingers Vinicius Junior and Raphinha leading the attack, supported by the emerging talent of Endrick. Despite injury setbacks to key players like Rodrygo, Eder Militao, Estavao, and Wesley, and facing questions about their experienced but aging full-backs, Brazil, driven by a national expectation of winning, aims for their sixth World Cup title, drawing inspiration from their previous 24-year gap between victories ending in 1994.

Brazil enters the 2026 World Cup under Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti, seeking to break a 24-year title drought since their last victory in 2002, and the team is evolving from its traditional reliance on a sole No. 9 and the influence of Neymar, who is now considered a "wild card" rather than the central figure. Ancelotti is building a new identity that blends Brazilian flair with European tactical pragmatism, focusing on a strong defensive core featuring centre-backs Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhaes, a midfield partnership of Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes with Lucas Paqueta providing creativity, and dynamic wingers Vinicius Junior and Raphinha leading the attack, supported by the emerging talent of Endrick. Despite injury setbacks to key players like Rodrygo, Eder Militao, Estavao, and Wesley, and facing questions about their experienced but aging full-backs, Brazil, driven by a national expectation of winning, aims for their sixth World Cup title, drawing inspiration from their previous 24-year gap between victories ending in 1994.

It has been 24 years. Igor Thiago was only a year old when Brazil and their fans across the globe last celebrated like there was no tomorrow. On a June night in Yokohama, Japan, the O Fenômeno put two goals past legendary German shot-stopper Oliver Kahn in the space of 12 minutes to hand the Seleção their fifth crown.

From losing his father at 13 to working as a bricklayer and fruit carrier to put food to the table, Thiago has seen it all in life since that historic night of 2002. Except the euphoria of a World Cup win in a nation that breathes football. As part of Brazil’s 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in US-Mexico-Canada, the Brentford centre-forward dares to dream of getting a shot at doing what Ronaldo Nazário did on that night 24 years ago in the iconic no. 9 jersey.

The 2002 ensemble – with Ronaldo leading from the front – is a golden generation frozen in time. But, the question is – will Brazil have a traditional no. 9 this time? Thiago has been in prime form, scoring 22 goals in 38 Premier league appearances, but Matheus Cunha is the likely starter. He wears no. 9 but is not a Ronaldo-esque finisher. Cunha drops deep, links play and creates space for wide forwards. Teenage sensation Endrick can create chaos in the box in that role as a super substitute.

Whoever it is, one thing is certain. It will not be a one-man army. Brazil’s football is forging a new identity under Italian Carlo Ancelotti—its first full-time foreign head coach and the most successful manager in the Champions League (two titles with AC Milan; three with Real Madrid). Since he took over the reins last May, he has been trying to find the right rhythm—a balance between the ‘clip’ of Joga Bonito and the ‘clop’ of European football’s tactical pragmatism.

Ancelotti knows the team can no longer be built around Neymar. The 34-year-old—Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals—is past his prime and has a bad calf. For a lithe man, he casts a huge shadow. There was no escaping it in the past three World Cups. This time, Ancelotti has embraced it; not as a trump card, but as a wild card. He knows a fit Neymar can still produce moments of magic, like the goal in added time against Croatia in the 2022 quarterfinal. That match ended in heartbreak for him and Brazil, but the moment of brilliance proved Neymar might still hold the key to unlock tight defences.

Under Ancelotti, Brazil have been slowly building their core from the back, in pairs. In Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhaes, they have world-class centre-backs. While the Paris Saint-Germain star is a tactical genius, Arsenal’s Gabriel, with his aerial dominance, physicality and threat from set-pieces, is expected to be Brazil’s spine this time.

The heart will be the midfield engine of Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes. The Newcastle United star plays box to box, with veteran Casemiro providing the defensive muscle, cutting off transitions and protecting the back four.

With Lucas Paqueta as the creative link between them and the forward line, the onus of creating chances in the final third will fall on the dynamic and explosive wingers, Vinicius Junior and Raphinha. Having managed Vinicius at Madrid, Ancelotti knows him like the back of his hand. He will be their Man Friday. The young Endrick, as substitute, could be a nightmare for tired defenders.

Brazil have also had injury concerns, with Rodrygo, Eder Militao and Estavao missing out. Their weakness at the back was worsened further after right-back Wesley was recently ruled out of the tournament with a thigh injury. Full-backs Danilo (34) and Alex Sandro (35), though tactically reliable and experienced, are no Cafu or Roberto Carlos.

They might not be one of the favourites this time, but the Selecao look balanced well-balanced on paper. Brazil is a nation that measures success in gold. Anything less than hexa will be a failure. Can Ancelotti achieve in 12 months what others have not in 24 years? It won’t be easy – Joga Bonito is fighting a battle of survival against the tactical pragmatism of European football.

But Brazil have history to look back on. The team broke a similar World Cup drought in 1994, on American soil. That gap? Twenty-four years.

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