After another disappointing international break, we examine just what’s going on with the Brazil national team — a group with a high level of individual talent that continues to fall short as a collective.
The most recent international break continued a theme that has been prevalent for over a decade. The Brazilian national team seems unable to perform to its lofty standards.
The Seleção has just two wins in its last six games dating back to the start of the 2024 Copa America, and only one win in its last five CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers, keeping the frightening possibility of missing out on the 2026 World Cup open. These numbers are harrowing and would be completely unbelievable if you hadn’t watched the team play over the last few years.
Brazil has long been lauded as the pinnacle of international football — a team that excites the eyes and captivates the hearts, winning everything along the way. From the days of Pele, Zico, Carlos Alberto, and a host of other legendary names, the nation’s legacy was built as the imperious, impervious powerhouse of the world stage that would step into any stadium against any opposition and expect victory.
While Pele, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, and Ronaldo have all left, their shadows still loom large. The current squad remains shackled by their country’s lofty ideology but is devoid of the same quality and depth. To make matters more puzzling, Brazil has consistently produced world-class players. Vinicius Jr. is the latest in the long line of Ballon d’Or contenders who have stepped up to lead the Canarinho, following in Neymar’s footsteps.
Yet somehow, for both the country’s greatest-ever goalscorer and the current crown in the jewel of the reigning European club champions, it hasn’t clicked.
It has to be said that the blame most certainly isn’t on these two players. Neymar throughout his career was consistently one of the most clutch performers in world football, coming up with massive moment after herculean performance to spearhead his nation.
While he was given the ultimate free role to influence the team’s entire attack, Vinicius still struggles with his role for this team. He has failed to inspire in any of the roles in which he’s been deployed, a fact that points to much bigger issues, both in tactics and personnel.
Vini and Rodrygo are two of the best forwards on the planet, with Endrick and Estêvão Willian two of their most promising players coming through in attack. Marquinhos has long been an everpresent, and Alisson Becker is still arguably the best goalkeeper in the game, but then what?
There are talented players in the defense and midfield, yes, but they have failed to match the grit and balance which can be seen in other top world powers like Argentina, Spain, England, and France. The best teams in the world build off a solid base and an efficient engine room, neither of which can Brazil boast.
Post World Cup Dip
Brazil has endured two stages of World Cup hangover, short-term and long-term.
The former is baffling. In their 19 games since losing on penalties to Croatia in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal, Brazil has only seven wins. If you include the Croatia game, it reads that Brazil has more losses than wins over their last 20 games in all competitions; certainly not the form of a team you’d be expecting to compete at the next World Cup.
If you widen the scope, we have not seen a signature or dominant Brazilian showing in a major tournament over the last decade. Their humbling at the hands of Germany in their own backyard has had a severe snowball effect. Their sole major tournament win in the period came in the 2019 edition of Copa America. Still, it was sandwiched by equally disappointing quarterfinal World Cup exits, with their bitter rivals Argentina going on to win it all in 2022.
There have been continued improvements to the footballing structure and philosophy for many of the world’s best national teams, which has been a big factor that has seen Brazil begin to lag behind. Couple this with the continued growth of the game worldwide, smaller nations producing players who ply their trade on the world stage, and you can begin to get a sense of how exactly Brazil has found themselves scrapping at the bottom half of the CONMEBOL table.
With the expansion of the 2026 World Cup, the top six CONMEBOL teams will automatically qualify for the tournament. Brazil currently sits fifth having just one game to play, away to second-bottom Chile. Typically, there would be absolutely zero cause for concern when it comes to the Seleção, but as we’ve established, there is nothing typical about this iteration of the Brazilian national team.
Brazil is a footballing nation of supreme heritage, which is a blessing but can also serve to be a curse. Brazilian fans have learned to become accustomed to a standard that this iteration of their team just cannot produce.
If Brazil loses to Chile, both Paraguay and Bolivia will have the chance to claim an automatic berth in the World Cup at their expense. Paraguay faces Ecuador who are also looking to secure their spot as they sit fourth, and Bolivia will have the toughest task as they match up with Copa America runners-up Colombia who have already secured their place.
For what it’s worth, I expect Brazil to beat Chile and make all this speculation a moot point, but beyond that, the image becomes much more blurry. If you began to list the teams you think are most likely to come away with the trophy come the summer of 2026, there may genuinely be six to eight names that are listed before you mention the famed green and yellow.
Should big changes not occur for Brazil in terms of their footballing structure and ideology, they will continue to cling to and suffer from the success of their past.
