Can Brazil end 24-year World Cup drought under Ancelotti

Brazil arrive at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America as one of the least fancied sides the nation has produced in generations, yet carrying the full weight of a country that has won this tournament five times and for whom anything less than a sixth title feels like failure.

Carlo Ancelotti, who took over the Brazil job in May 2025 after leaving Real Madrid, becomes the first non-Brazilian to coach the Seleção at a World Cup. His arrival stabilised a side that had only won three of its first eight qualifiers, and he eventually secured qualification despite a campaign that exposed real inconsistency throughout. Brazil only won two of their nine away qualifiers, a concerning record for a team expected to travel deep into a tournament. A historic home defeat to Argentina raised serious doubts about the squad’s resilience under pressure.

Led by Vinícius Júnior and a group of players who have not yet had enough time under Ancelotti to reach their maximum potential, the Seleção open their tournament against Morocco at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on June 13. A squad brimming with talent but lacking cohesion, Brazil enter North America as a team with everything to prove.

Brazil World Cup 2026 squad

Wesley was originally named in the squad but withdrew through injury on June 7 and was replaced by Éderson from Atalanta as a late call-up.

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

Defenders: Éderson (Atalanta)*, Douglas Santos (Zenit), Alex Sandro (Flamengo), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal), Marquinhos (PSG), Danilo (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Ibañez (Al-Ahli), Léo Pereira (Flamengo)

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

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

*Éderson (Atalanta) was a late call-up replacing Wesley, who withdrew with injury on June 7.

Brazil World Cup 2026 group stage fixtures

The road to the 2026 World Cup

Brazil’s qualification was far from straightforward. They only won three of their first eight qualifiers and inconsistent results persisted until Ancelotti finally steadied the ship. A historic home defeat to Argentina raised serious doubts about the squad’s resilience in pressure moments, and goalscoring was a persistent problem throughout the campaign. Just 24 goals across 18 qualifying matches, with Barcelona’s Raphinha the only player to reach five or more.

Qualification record: 8W-6L-4D
Goals scored / conceded: 24 / 17
Top scorer: Raphinha (5)
Assist leader: Neymar (3)

Carlo Ancelotti: the manager

If there is anyone who can lead Brazil to a record sixth World Cup, it is Ancelotti. The Italian, who turns 67 just before the tournament begins, is arguably the greatest club manager of all time and one of the most respected voices to have ever commanded a dressing room. Five Champions League titles and numerous domestic league titles across Europe speak for themselves. He lacks international management experience but brings the perfect balance of tactical intelligence and man-management to inspire an inconsistent team. His player-centric culture building is exactly what a dressing room as talented but unsettled as Brazil’s requires. He has been in charge since May 2025.

The players who could define Brazil’s World Cup 2026

Vinícius Júnior is the x-factor of this tournament. The 2024 Ballon d’Or runner-up is an absolute menace in the final third, making a mockery of defenders with mesmerising dribbling and blistering pace. Reunited with Ancelotti, who got the best out of him at Real Madrid, the expectation is that the manager can finally help him translate his devastating club form to the international stage in a way previous coaches failed to achieve. He scored the goal that sealed Brazil’s qualification against Paraguay.

Endrick is the breakout star candidate. The 19-year-old was largely peripheral at Real Madrid but has been reinvigorated after a productive spell in Ligue 1 at Lyon. With Estêvão unavailable through injury, Endrick will offer Ancelotti a strong wide option and will be desperate to seize a World Cup stage that could define his career at the earliest possible age.

Neymar has not played for Brazil since October 2023. At 34, the assist leader in qualifying is far more likely to function as an impact substitute than a guaranteed starter. His fitness remains a major unknown. Ancelotti’s decision to include him in the squad and leave out João Pedro generated significant debate. The potential is always there, but so are the question marks.

Premier League players in the Brazil squad

Brazil have eight Premier League players in their World Cup squad, one of the strongest top-flight English contingents of any nation at this tournament. The group spans every position from goalkeeper to forward and includes players from five different Premier League clubs.

Alisson is Brazil’s undisputed first choice goalkeeper and one of the finest in the world. His exceptional shot-stopping and composure under pressure is a key reason why Ancelotti’s system is built around defending compactly and counter-attacking: having Alisson behind you allows the team to absorb pressure and trust that goals will be kept out. Gabriel Magalhães arrives as a Premier League champion after Arsenal’s historic title win and could start alongside Marquinhos at the heart of the defence with Éder Militão unavailable through injury. Marquinhos himself, approaching his century of international caps, has won the Champions League with PSG back-to-back and remains the cornerstone of the defensive line.

Bruno Guimarães and Casemiro provide genuine security in central midfield, something Brazil have not consistently had since their 2002 World Cup triumph. Their combination of physicality, ball-winning and distribution gives Ancelotti the defensive midfield platform the system requires. Matheus Cunha and Gabriel Martinelli offer pace and directness from wide positions, and Igor Thiago picked up a goal contribution in Brazil’s 3-1 win over Croatia in March alongside Vinícius Júnior, Danilo and Gabriel Martinelli. Rayan, who joined Bournemouth in January, is the most intriguing squad member, a supremely talented young forward who has shown enough in the Premier League to earn his place on the plane to North America.

How Brazil will play at World Cup 2026

Ancelotti’s preferred structure is a 4-3-3, with a midfield three of Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães and Lucas Paquetá providing both defensive security and creative output. The system gives Ancelotti the defensive solidity and attacking width that recent Brazilian squads have so often needed but failed to find. Alisson in goal underpins everything.

Despite the big names in the attack, Brazil do not punish opponents with a flurry of goals. The Seleção bide their time, allowing opponents to enjoy possession before picking the perfect moment to strike. Having a world-class goalkeeper allows them to secure narrow but comfortable results. When they do attack, the transition is electrifying: Vinícius Júnior, Matheus Cunha, Raphinha and Gabriel Martinelli all offer pace, directness and the ability to hurt opponents before they have reorganised.

The weakness is the fullbacks. Ancelotti started a haphazard defensive unit against France in March that performed poorly and will not feature at the World Cup. Wesley’s withdrawal through injury on June 7 further complicates the selection, with Douglas Santos and Danilo now the available options at full-back. There is also raging concern over midfield depth beyond the first-choice trio.

Formation: 4-3-3
Style: Hybrid, patient build-up with electrifying counters
Key strengths: Electrifying counter-attacks, exceptional goalkeeping
Key weaknesses: Unproven fullbacks, inconsistent midfield depth

Brazil predicted lineup vs Morocco

Alisson; Douglas Santos, Gabriel Magalhães, Marquinhos, Alex Sandro; Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães, Lucas Paquetá; Raphinha, Matheus Cunha, Vinícius Júnior

Can Brazil end their 24-year World Cup wait in North America?

Brazil’s group, containing Morocco, Haiti and Scotland, is one they should top comfortably. The knockout rounds are where the real examination arrives. Spain or Argentina are identified as the opponents most likely to expose Brazil’s defensive fragility under sudden pressure. A semi-final exit feels the most probable outcome for a squad still finding its identity under a manager who has only been in charge since May 2025.

The talent is undeniable. With Ancelotti’s structure, Vinícius Júnior at his peak and a Premier League contingent of eight players arriving in excellent domestic form, this is one of Brazil’s best chances in over two decades of going deep in a tournament. Consistency across seven matches, however, has not been their strongest suit in recent times. If things go wrong, blame will fall on midfield depth and those subpar fullback options. What will everyone say if Brazil go out early? The same thing they have been saying for 24 years.