Team Dossier: Brazil — five stars, 24-year drought, and Ancelotti's one shot

Five World Cup titles. The only country to appear in every single edition of the tournament. And yet Brazil haven't lifted the trophy since 2002 — four quarter-final exits in the five tournaments since Ronaldo ran riot in Yokohama. Now, 24 years on, Carlo Ancelotti brings them back to North America. The last time Brazil went 24 years without winning, they ended the drought on this same continent, at USA '94. History does not repeat itself on command, but the symmetry is there for anyone who wants to believe in it.

The question isn't whether Brazil have the talent. They do. The question is whether this particular squad — injury-hit, unfamiliar with Ancelotti's system, with Neymar as a gamble rather than a guarantee — can hold it together when the tournament gets hard.

Brazil land in Group C alongside Morocco, Haiti, and Scotland. On paper, this is the most comfortable group a Brazilian side has drawn in years. 1

Morocco will be the real test — they reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2022 and have a disciplined low-block that genuinely troubles technically superior teams. The opener in New Jersey will tell us most of what we need to know about how Brazil will actually function under Ancelotti. 1

Scotland are back at a World Cup for the first time since 1998 — their ninth appearance overall, and their record against Brazil is not as bad as it sounds (a 0–0 draw in 1974, a 1–0 defeat in 1990, a 2–1 loss in that very 1998 opening match). Expect a passionate, disciplined side who won't roll over. Haiti, ranked 84th by FIFA, are making only their second ever World Cup appearance.

GK: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Fenerbahçe), Weverton (Grêmio)

DEF: Wesley (Roma), Douglas Santos (Zenit), Alex Sandro (Flamengo), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal), Marquinhos (PSG, captain), Danilo (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Ibañez (Al-Ahli), Léo Pereira (Flamengo)

MID: Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle), Casemiro (Manchester United), Danilo Santos (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al-Ittihad), Lucas Paquetá (Flamengo), Raphinha (Barcelona), Neymar (Santos)

FWD: Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid), Luiz Henrique (Zenit), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Endrick (Lyon/Real Madrid), Rayan (Bournemouth) 3

The big absences: Rodrygo suffered an ACL injury and is out. Éder Militão also misses the tournament through injury. Estevão, the 19-year-old Chelsea winger who had scored five goals in 11 international appearances and was one of the tournament's most anticipated young stars, is also absent. 4

Ancelotti's preferred shape is a 4-2-3-1, with Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães as a double pivot and Vinicius Jr anchoring the left flank. The attacking intent is unmistakable. But the style is less "Brazil of 1970" and more "Real Madrid circa 2022" — let opponents have the ball, absorb pressure, then hit fast on the counter with players who can decide a game in three touches. 5

With Alisson in goal (still recovering from a recent injury, though expected to start) and Marquinhos marshalling the defence, Brazil are solid at the back. Gabriel Magalhães from Arsenal partners Marquinhos in central defence — a pairing that is Premier League-tested and should be physically ready for the tournament's physical demands. 5

Then there is Neymar. At 34, back at Santos after years at PSG, his inclusion drew attention the moment it was announced. His return from injury is fragile, and his performances for Santos this season have been uneven. Ancelotti's quote when asked whether he'd have called up Neymar knowing about the injury risk — "You know what we say in Italy? If my grandmother had wheels, she would have been a car" — tells you everything about the coach's pragmatic philosophy: pick the best players available, manage the uncertainty, and see what happens. 6

Neymar is likely to start on the bench and come on when games are already shaped. At his best, even a 60-minute Neymar is a different player to most people on earth. The realistic expectation is: 45–60 minutes per game, mainly as an impact substitute, with the chance that everything clicks in the knockout rounds if Brazil get there.

Can Vinicius Jr translate his club form to international level?

At Real Madrid under Ancelotti, Vinicius was transformed from a raw, sometimes frustrating talent into a 2024 Ballon d'Or runner-up and two-time Champions League winner. The partnership between manager and player at club level is already built. The theory is that Ancelotti can unlock the same Vinicius in the yellow shirt that he did in white. 3

The problem is that international football moves slower than Real Madrid's high-press environment, and Vinicius has historically needed teammates who understand his runs to be at his best. Raphinha (Barcelona) and, if fit, Neymar, can provide that. Whether Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães can also protect the space behind Vinicius's forward runs on the counter is where the real tactical interest lies.

Brazil's qualification campaign was a warning sign: 8 wins, 6 defeats, 4 draws in CONMEBOL qualifying — they scraped through in fifth place, and Ancelotti only took charge partway through. The team that arrives in New Jersey is not the swaggering Seleção of tournaments past. They are talented but inconsistent, with limited time together under a new coach, key players out injured, and a centre-forward role that no one has truly nailed down. 5

If Morocco doesn't expose them on June 13 — and if Vinicius turns up — Brazil will advance with room to spare and build momentum. If the opener goes wrong, the cracks will be visible immediately.

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Wesley, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães, Douglas Santos; Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães; Raphinha, Vinicius Jr, Matheus Cunha; Endrick