The Brazil World Cup 2026 squad delivered what they promised in Group C. Carlo Ancelotti left the likes of Joao Pedro, Richarlison, Savinho, Gabriel Jesus and Thiago Silva at home but won the group. Step one achieved.
Brazil drew their first fixture against Morocco but coasted through their last two matches, beating both Haiti and Scotland 3-0, knocking the Grenadiers out and leaving Scotland close to the precipice in third place.
Ancelotti's paymasters won't be satisfied yet but the signs are positive. The next test coming their way will be rather sterner than the last two and Brazil will be expected to navigate that one too.
Brentford striker Igor Thiago and Bournemouth wonderkid Rayan were both selected for their first call-ups in March – with the latter described by FFT's Joe Donnohue as a starlet, “characterised by a willingness and desire to lock-and-load whenever he had a sight of goal,” in our The Boy's A Bit Special series – and both were rewarded with a place on the plane.
Premier League faces Casemiro, Gabriel Martinelli, Matheus Cunha and Bruno Guimaraes are all named too, alongside Vinicius Jr, Raphinha and 19-year-old Endrick. All have made their mark, with Rayan getting his first World Cup start in place of injured Raphinha against Scotland.
Ancelotti recently extended his contract with the Selecao, who are looking to end a 24-year wait to bring the World Cup home again.
Is this squad good enough to go all the way in North America?
The Mood
How chaotic can a World Cup preparation get? Brazil tried their best to find out.
Following Qatar 2022, the five-time world champions elected to wait for Carlo Ancelotti to come and save them. They waited for more than a year, only for the Italian to extend his contract with Real Madrid instead. It was one of the most embarrassing episodes in the Selecao’s history.
They had employed two different interim coaches in the meantime, making a full-time appointment – Dorival Junior – only after Ancelotti’s apparent snub. Brazil were also threatened with suspension by FIFA due to government and third-party interference, then saw their FA’s president removed from office by court order.
The situation on the pitch was equally turbulent, bringing one negative record after another. Featuring their worst defeat in a World Cup qualifier (4-1 to Argentina in Buenos Aires), their first home defeat in a World Cup qualifier (1-0 to Argentina in Rio de Janeiro), a first defeat to Colombia in qualifying (2-1 in Barranquilla) and a failure to beat Venezuela even once, it was unsurprisingly Brazil’s worst ever qualification campaign. They finished 5th in the 10-team group, level on points with 6th, 19 behind Argentina.
Even a place at this summer’s World Cup felt at risk, despite South America having six direct spots and a seventh in the play-offs. Brazil desperately needed some positive news. They got it. After on-and-off talks for more than two years, Ancelotti’s appointment was finally announced by the CBF in May 2025… three days after their president’s removal.
Ancelotti had visited Brazil only once before, when scouting players as Juventus boss back in 2000. But his name alone, as the most successful coach in Champions League history, with five trophies, instantly put an end to all uncertainties.
Have results improved? Not really. However, there is a clear direction now. And while there is pressure on Ancelotti to prevent a record-breaking drought – Brazil last lifted the trophy in 2002 and have never gone six World Cups without winning one – the 66-year-old has always reacted to pressure in the past with a shrug and a raised eyebrow.
Squad
Brazil World Cup 2026 squad
- GK: Alisson (Liverpool)
- GK: Ederson (Fenerbahce)
- GK: Weverton (Gremio)
- DF: Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain)
- DF: Danilo Luiz (Flamengo)
- DF: Alex Sandro (Flamengo)
- DF: Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)
- DF: Bremer (Juventus)
- DF: Roger Ibanez (Al-Ahli)
- DF: Douglas Santos (Zenit Saint Petersburg)
- DF: Leo Pereira (Flamengo)
- MF: Casemiro (Manchester United)
- MF: Ederson (Atalanta)
- MF: Lucas Paqueta (Flamengo)
- MF: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United)
- MF: Fabinho (Al-Ittihad)
- MF: Danilo Santos (Botafogo)
- FW: Neymar (Santos)
- FW: Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
- FW: Raphinha (Barcelona)
- FW: Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)
- FW: Matheus Cunha (Manchester United)
- FW: Endrick (Lyon)
- FW: Luiz Henrique (Zenit Saint Petersburg)
- FW: Igor Thiago (Brentford)
- FW: Rayan (Bournemouth)
Fixtures and results
- June 29, 2026: Brazil vs Runner-Up F , NRG Stadium , Houston, United States
Recent Results
- June 19, 2026: Brazil 3-0 Haiti , Lincoln Financial Field , Philadelphia, United States
- June 24, 2026: Scotland 0-3 Brazil , Hard Rock Stadium , Miami Gardens, United States
- June 13, 2026: Brazil 1-1 Morocco , MetLife Stadium , East Rutherford, United States
- June 6, 2026: Brazil 2-1 Egypt , Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, United States
- May 31, 2026: Brazil 6-2 Panama , Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- March 31, 2026: Brazil 3-1 Croatia , Camping World Stadium, Orlando, United States
- March 28, 2026: France 2-1 Brazil , Gillette Stadium , Foxborough, United States
- November 18, 2025: Brazil 1-1 Tunisia , Decathlon Arena (Stade Pierre-Mauroy), Lille, France
- November 15, 2025: Brazil 2-0 Senegal , Emirates Stadium, London, England
- October 14, 2025: Japan 3-2 Brazil , Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
- October 10, 2025: South Korea 0-5 Brazil , Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, South Korea
- September 10, 2025: Bolivia 1-0 Brazil , El Alto Municipal Stadium, El Alto, Bolivia
- September 5, 2025: Brazil 3-0 Chile , Estadio Jornalista Mario Filho (Maracana), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- June 11, 2025: Brazil 1-0 Paraguay , Neo Quimica Arena, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- June 6, 2025: Ecuador 0-0 Brazil , Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha, Guayaquil, Ecuador
Group C standings
Brazil are in Group C at World Cup 2026.
Manager
Who is Brazil's manager?
Carlo Ancelotti has an extensive club football CV, with successful stints at Real Madrid, AC Milan, PSG, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, meaning he has won each of Europe's top five leagues, but the Brazil job is his first in international management.
His very recent connection with Real Madrid means several players are used to his ways, which will help as Brazil look to end a 24-year wait for the sixth World Cup win.
His hand has been somewhat forced during his early team selection, with the top scorer in Brazilian history, Neymar, not available through injury in each of his squad selections prior to the World Cup. He made it back in time to be a surprise selection.
Star player
Who is Brazil's star player?
Vinicius Jr came incredibly close to Brazilian immortality when he finished second in the 2024 Ballon d'Or, and while he had a slightly below-par season last time out, he's still one of the best players in the world.
Ranked at no.3 in FourFourTwo's list of the best left wingers in the world right now, he will have a massive part to play, should Brazil be successful this summer.
The Real Madrid man needed to increase his output and delivered in the group stage, scoring four times.
