Brazil

No nation carries the accumulated weight of World Cup expectation quite like Brazil. Five titles — more than any country in history — and yet the last came in 2002 in Japan and South Korea. Twenty-four years of hurt, of near-misses, of quarter-final and semifinal collapses that have gradually eroded what was once considered an inevitable Brazilian birthright. The 2022 Qatar tournament ended in a penalty shootout defeat to Croatia in the quarterfinals — a game Brazil dominated for 105 minutes before losing their nerve. The anger and sadness that swept across 215 million Brazilians in that moment still powers the urgency of the 2026 project. Carlos Ancelotti, whose Real Madrid contract extension through 2030 did not prevent him from accepting the Brazil national team role, has brought calm authority and tactical pragmatism to a squad that previously oscillated between defensive caution and attacking overconfidence. His ability to manage enormous personalities — Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, and the returning Neymar — within a coherent tactical structure is the defining question of the Selecao's 2026 campaign. Vinicius Junior at 25 is the most explosive winger in world football. His Champions League campaigns at Real Madrid have produced performances that make defenders look ordinary, and his ability to create chances from nothing adds an unpredictability dimension that no training session can fully prepare for. Raphinha's Champions League-winning campaign with Barcelona provides a second elite wide threat. And Neymar — returning after 18 months of ACL rehabilitation — adds the creative chaos that Brazil's attack has lacked since his 2022 injury. Group C with Morocco and Scotland is not the walk-through some expected. Morocco are dangerous, organized, and motivated to repeat their 2022 heroics. But Brazil's quality should carry them through. The real test, as always, is the knockout rounds — and whether Ancelotti can break the cycle that has defined a generation.