'The fall of the Seleção!' Are Brazil ready for the FIFA World Cup this year?

Will Brazil be able to cope without Neymar Jr in the World Cup? (Image credits – Wikipedia, licence details)

Brazil used to be the undisputed favourites in every World Cup in the past, especially because of their ‘Joga Bonito’ style of football and the star power they used to carry in each edition. The South American nation are also the most successful nation in this competition, which has cemented their legacy in international football.

However, the Brazil football team this year should not be considered favourites to win the competition, and the friendly against France gave them a reality check about where the Seleção stands right now.

With five World Cup titles, Brazil carry expectations and the weight to deliver on the biggest stage for their fans. Their iconic yellow and green kits have become iconic, which resonates with beautiful football, dominance and a magical flair. However, as football has evolved, Brazil’s national team has taken a step back.

Their recent World Cup campaigns have been dismal as per their humongous standards. Since lifting the trophy last in 2002, the South American giants have fallen short in the knockout stages each time against their European counterparts. The devastating 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 WC semi-final started the fall of the mighty Selecao.

Until 2022 Neymar carried the weight of the jersey and carried the team on his shoulders, but his constant injuries also pegged him back at times. Also, tactical inconsistency, over-dependence on star players and managerial inconsistency have hindered the nation's progress in the sport.

Brazil has also faded away from their symbolic ‘joga bonito’ and has evolved like European teams, which has been tough for them to adapt to. On the contrary, Argentina have always remained true to their usual style of football and have constantly developed talent which has helped them progress even further.

Now a new generation of Brazil has emerged, led by the likes of Vinicius Junior and Raphinha. It's a young team and is going through transition. Talent is there in the squad, but the team haven't found the right balance and their lost identity yet.

Unlike the previous editions, where the five-time winners entered the competition with confidence, this squad lacks that confidence to overcome top teams. There are plenty of talented lads up top for Brazil, but midfield and defence are where they are lagging behind the rest.

International football has become more competitive than ever, with 48 teams set to participate in this edition of the World Cup. European giants like France, Spain, England and Germany are filled with star-studded squads with depth in every position backed by tactical brilliance.

Defending champions Argentina have evolved parallel to the European giants, for which they've been able to dominate on the biggest stage last time, and are also one of the favourites to lift and defend the World Cup title.

One of the biggest reasons why Brazil won't be the favourites to win the World Cup this year is because of their frequent managerial changes. Carlo Ancelotti has just arrived in this position, and the team has not found the time to adapt to his style of football and develop that cohesion amongst the players.

In the friendly fixture against France on Friday, Brazil looked well equipped up front, but they couldn't control the game in the midfield and couldn't maintain their defensive shape. In knockout tournaments like the World Cup, a good midfield and defence wins you games.

Brazil's journey to the upcoming World Cup will be a transitional journey where they are no longer the best team on the globe. They have to accept it so that it reduces the pressure from their shoulders and play freely.

To be the contenders, they have to develop cohesiveness and be able to perform in pressure situations, which becomes very tough with a young squad. Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, who is the new face of Brazilian football, also admitted that they are not the favourites heading into the United States of America.

"I believe that [the national team] isn't the favourite based on the results we've had," the Real Madrid forward said. (sic)

He added, “But the weight of the jersey, the weight of the players we have here ... We're going to do everything to put Brazil on top again. We don't want to be favourites; we want to put Brazil on top.” (sic)

Brazil will begin their WC campaign against last edition’s semi-finalists Morocco on June 13th. The Selecao are the favourites to top Group C, which also has Scotland and Haiti.